AFP hopes end of martial law in Mindanao will ”be conducive to economic activities”

December 11, 2019

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed hope that the non-extension of martial law will make Mindanao “more conducive to economic activities”.

“Hopeful that with the lifting or the non-extension of martial law will bring a more, a climate more conducive to economic activities,” said Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo in a television interview Wednesday.

He said the AFP has recommended non-extension of martial law as the security situation in Mindanao has improved and threat groups have “significantly weakened”.

“Yes it has significantly weakened because first things first, the Daulah Islamiyah inspired group by the Maute brothers as you know have been defeated in Marawi and after which all their activities now that we have monitored so far are their attempts to regroup, to research and to recruit which we are able to control,'' said Arevalo.

''Secondly with regard to the other Daesh inspired group like the Abu Toraype group of the splinter group of the BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) they are also in check,” added Arevalo.

Arevalo said the military is making sure that the rebels are able to confine their movements in central Mindanao.

''The local terrorist groups in Sulu, we already have controlled them in the sense that we have neutralized their key leaders and so far they have, during the last quarter they were not able to pull out any reports or attempts to kidnap and of course we have rescued British couple Hyrons,” he said.

Although Arevalo said the local terrorist groups remain a threat, he added that the military have been ''  able to contain them.''

''We are able to monitor their movements, as has been reported in the news there have been incidents of suicide bombing and one of them unfortunately was a Filipino, it’s something that we have not witnessed in the past but we say that we were able to contain this,” he added.

Arevalo said based on their record there are eight foreign terrorist fighters  being monitored in the country while the Abu Sayyaf are still holding three Indonesian and a Filipino kidnap victims.

“Foreign terrorist fighters we have about eight, we are monitoring eight foreign terrorists,” he said.

“In terms of kidnap victims that they still have, reportedly with them are three Indonesians and a Filipino national,” he added.

Despite the expected lifting of martial law next year, Arevalo said the military will continue check point operations and focused operations in southern Philippines.

“Well definitely checkpoints are going to continue. After all, even without Martial Law, checkpoints are there, but of course with martial law in effect there are more stringent measures that we can do,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS