Pernia downplays negative effect of prolonged martial law on economy

July 20, 2017

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia downplayed on Thursday any possible negative effect on the economy of a prolonged imposition of martial law in Mindanao. Pernia, in a press briefing in Malacanang, said the problem is only confined in Mindanao, particularly in Marawi City. "As you know, the conflict is only limited to a small area in Mindanao, small fraction of the whole island," he said. The government troopers continue to pursue the remnants of the Islamic State-inspired Maute Terror Group in Marawi. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law in the whole of Mindanao on May 23 shortly after the terrorists attacked and occupied Marawi. The 60-day state of martial law in southern Philippines will expire on July 22. Duterte asked Congress to hold a special session on July 22 to tackle his request to extend the imposition of martial law in Mindanao until December 31 to fully quell rebellion, not only in Marawi, but in the entire island of Mindanao. Pernia said during his recent visit in Cagayan de Oro where he attended a forum with the businessmen, many from the business sector had said that they saw no problem with martial law. "Businesses are not being disrupted. In fact, they feel safer and more confident about the investment or business environment in Mindanao in general," he said. Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the government has been trying to address the terrorism problem in Mindanao amid report of the US State Department that the Philippines is one of the five countries with highest number of terror attacks in 2016. "We've been fighting terrorism in the Philippines for many years. And a month and a half into his presidency, the President had already warned the military of what he termed the 'ISIS disease," he said in the same press briefing. He said the government recognizes that poverty in Mindanao and the sense of hopelessness spawns terrorism. "It is for this reason that while we are fighting terrorism, we are also fighting poverty," he said, citing the President's approval of the  Comprehensive Peace Roadmap which aims to provide peace and development by addressing the issue on the Bangsamoro. "As they say, we can sign a hundred peace agreements but if those on the ground do not immediately feel the dividends of peace, those agreements will [not] be sustainable. In other words, what we are doing is we really confronting it, engaging the situation with the whole systems approach," he said. The US State Department report said out of the 11,072 worldwide terrorist attacks last year, more than half happened in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. (Celerina Monte/DMS)