PNP supports calls to place Sulu under martial law after recent explosions

Soldiers carry bodies at a site of an explosion in the town of Jolo, Sulu province southern Philippines on Monday Aug. 24, 2020. Bombs exploded in a southern Philippine town Monday, killing several soldiers and wounding other military personnel and civilians despite extra tight security due to threats from Abu Sayyaf militants. (AP Photo/Nickee Butlangan)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it supports Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana’s push for a declaration of martial law in Sulu after the recent two bombings that hit Jolo.

“This (martial law) will allow the military and police more operational flexibility to carry out law enforcement operations against domestic threat groups in the area,” PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa said in a statement, reacting to Sobejana’s call for a Sulu-wide martial law.

In a radio interview, Sobejana said he is recommending the imposition of martial law and state of emergency in Sulu to the President.

“Well, pareho. Kung natatandaan natin nung dineklara ng ating pangulo yung martial (law) ay behave yung mga tao talagang nung una. Kaya lang nung una nagkaroon ng kaunting negative reaction due to the stigma brought about by the 1970s martial law, but this time nitong nakaraang martial talagang sila na mismo ang nagrequest na kung maari ma-extend pa,” Sobejana said over DWIZ when sought for comment about recommending martial law or state of emergency in Sulu to the President and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

(Both. If you may recall, the President declared martial law in Mindanao and people were behaving. But it gained negative reaction due to the stigma brought by 1970 martial law but this time some of them are requesting extension of martial law.)

“So siguro its high time na ibalik po natin.  If I may respectfully recommend to our president through our chief of staff and secretary of National Defense na kung maibalik o maideklara muli na martial law doon sa lugar dahil sa ito, doon sa probinsya ng Sulu dahil sa recent bombing incident na nangyari,” he added.

(So maybe it is high time we return it. If I may respectfully recommend to our President through our chief of staff and secretary of national defense to return to it or declare martial law again at Sulu due to the recent bombing incident.)

According to police, 14 people were killed and 72 individuals were injured in the two separate explosions in Jolo, Sulu.

Reports from the military said the first explosion occurred at 11:54 a.m. inside a food shop in Barangay Walled City in Jolo, where a military truck was parked. After an hour, another explosion also occurred at the Goteckleng Building which is hundred meters away from the location of the first blast.

Gamboa, meanwhile, said the Philippine Bomb Data Center and Crime (PBDC) Laboratory were deployed for investigation of the explosions in Jolo, Sulu.

The PBDC will “determine any specific bomb signature of the explosives that were detonated based on reconstruction of forensic evidence gathered by Crime Laboratory and other security forces that responded to the incident,” Gamboa said.

It was in May 2017 when President Rodrigo Duterte first declared martial law in Mindanao after the terrorist group Maute laid siege on Marawi City.

The martial law was in effect for 60 days but Congress extended it up to Dec. 31, 2019.

CFC