MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it will not recommend an extension of martial law in Mindanao despite five explosions that rocked Cotabato City and the provinces of Cotabato and Maguindanao Sunday night.
“As of yet those explosions have not disturbed our previous recommendation that the martial law should end this year. We have not changed our stand for the martial law. Still our recommendation is to end it by December 31 of this year,” Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge, said in a press briefing.
At least 23 individuals, including nine soldiers, were wounded in the series of explosions, nine days before martial law in the region ends and more than two years after it was declared.
Gamboa said the situation in Mindanao is “still peaceful” despite the explosions.
“If you can see the target of the explosions, it had not really inflicted that much casualty required for a very strong statement of those who did it,” he explained.
He said investigations are ongoing to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators of the blasts, although the military’s Western Mindanao Command suspects the Dawlah Islamiyah and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are responsible.
“We are careful in our assessments because it might have other implications. We want to be sure what’s the motive and who are the perpetrators of all these,” said Gamboa.
Earlier this month, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer extend martial law in Mindanao since the police and the military have succeeded in “weakening terrorism and extremist rebellion” in the region.
READ: Duterte won’t extend martial law in Mindanao
Gamboa said he ordered police units in affected areas to be extra alert after the attacks and to apply search warrants and warrants of arrest against groups who possibly hatched the explosions.