Lorenzana: No need to expand martial law in Luzon, Visayas

December 13, 2017

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana did not see the need to expand the coverage of martial law to Luzon and Visayas.

Lorenzana made the response to a lawmaker from Sulu province who suggested that the state of martial law, which has been imposed in southern Philippines and to include the communist rebels in the list of targets of the government forces, be expanded to other parts of the country where the New People's Army rebels are also present.

He said "45 percent" of the NPA are in Mindanao, particularly in Eastern Mindanao.

The leftist rebels have been bringing "havoc" to Mindanao, he said, noting that the threat of the NPA in Luzon and Visayas is "manageable."

Lorenzana, administrator of martial law, along with the other officials from the Executive, were present in the joint session of Congress at the House of Representatives in Quezon City where the lawmakers were discussing the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to further extend martial law imposition in Mindanao for another year or until Dec. 31, 2018.

In his letter to the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Duterte cited the continuing rebellion in Mindanao why he was asking to further extend martial law declaration and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus after December 31 in Mindanao.

Aside from the remnants of the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, he included the NPA as among those armed groups sowing rebellion in southern Philippines.

Duterte has terminated the peace talks with the leftist rebels and declared them as terrorists due to atrocities that they continue to commit. Celerina Monte/DMS