Duterte: No martial law in Visayas

Government troops head to the frontline as fighting with Muslim militants in Marawi city enters its second week, Tuesday, May 30, 2017, in the southern Philippines. Philippine forces pressed their offensive to drive out militants linked to the Islamic State group after days of fighting left corpses in the streets and hundreds of civilians begging for rescue from a besieged southern city of Marawi. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

DAVAO CITY—President Duterte on Wednesday said he might suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the Visayas if extremists fleeing a military operation in Marawi City escaped to the region.

Mr. Duterte, however, said he would not declare martial law in the Visayas, as he did
in Mindanao.

The President said he was worried about the terrorists fleeing to the Visayas because of the proximity of the region
to Mindanao.

He described the Visayas as “very porous.”

Mr. Duterte said suspending the privilege of the writ in the Visayas would be “just a precautionary measure.”

“I don’t think it will happen, I hope it will not happen. [B]ut if it does, we must be ready. There is no middle ground here,” he said in a speech during the celebration of the Philippine Navy’s 119th anniversary at Sasa Wharf in Davao City.

The Navy’s newest vessel, the BRP Davao del Sur, was commissioned during the celebration.

Islamic extremism

Mr. Duterte said the fight against Islamic extremism in Mindanao was serious that he had to declare martial law on the island.

He said he consulted military and police officials on how serious the threat was and they told him that the situation had become critical.

Mr. Duterte said extremists were dangerous, especially suicide bombers inspired by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.

“We cannot allow it to happen here. We will have to die fighting them,” he added.

Mr. Duterte assured government forces of support in the fight against terror, saying he was giving priority to the acquisition of equipment for them.

He said the crisis in Marawi would not have happened had the illegal drugs problem been dealt with earlier.

He said extremism in the country was being funded with drug money.

“I specifically warned everybody that there was a more dark cloud ahead of us and I was referring to the contamination of [IS], which is slowly creeping into our shores,” he said.

“Christians and the Moros who were into shabu sought sanctuary among the terrorists for protection and to ensure the success of their business,” he added.

But the extremists in the Philippines are not getting much support from IS, he said.

“We knew they’re not getting much help from [IS]. We intercepted the money they sent by just examining papers, and one of those recipients of huge amount was a member of the Philippine National Police. She was not only in cahoots but was an active player in the terrorism business,” he said, referring to Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza, the deputy chief of the PNP crime laboratory in Southern Mindanao, who was arrested for trying to help Abu Sayyaf suspects being hunted down in Bohol province in April.