THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said there could be a high possibility of extending martial law in Mindanao.
AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr. said that based on their consultations with various stakeholders, local government units are claiming that there have been positive results in the implementation of martial law in Mindanao.
“Very positive [ang response], maraming mga LGUs at mga government officials, they are looking for the extension and nakita namin yong impact din in terms of economic at security, napakalaki ng development,” he said.
One of the positive effects of martial law is the feeling of security.
While it can be noted that martial law did some good in Mindanao, it also had its cons during its run. Despite claiming that they did not receive any report on human rights violations, we cannot also discount some reports of alleged abuses from people of authority.
The business sector also took a while to recover from the initial impact of martial law when it was declared in May 2017. The tourism and Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibits) industries are among those badly hit. Hotels reported losses in the millions while there were also some reports of conventions being postponed. It took a while and a lot of work for the tourism sector to recover towards the end of 2017.
Business leaders in the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry also mentioned that there are hesitations by some to enter Davao City because of martial law.
The AFP cannot simply talk with leaders of various sectors because the stories on the ground itself may differ from their statements. Before they make any recommendation, they might want to conduct a survey to get the general consensus of the Mindanawons on the extension of martial law.
They might also consider the selective implementation of martial law. Probably it can only be implemented in areas where the threat is really high while in other areas, where things have been faring better, it will be lifted.
Time is of the essence for the AFP to come up with a decision. However, they also cannot set aside the sentiments of the general public towards martial law. The representatives and leaders of a community or group may speak for the people they represent but they do not always speak of what really are the thoughts of the people.