According to Senate President, Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel, it was DILG Secretary Catalino Cuy who first had the idea and insisted on doing a debriefing of the current national situation.
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| Photo from Philstar |
"He (Cuy) requested for an opportunity to brief me about Marawi law and order situation and I'll take advantage of this meeting to ask about some law and order issues nationwide, about sa mga nababasa kong patayan," Pimentel told the media in an interview.
Koko Pimentel is the ruling president of PDP-Laban. He clarified that this meeting with Cuy and Dela Rosa is a separate debriefing from another one that the security officials of the government will organize about the implementation of martial law in Mindanao.
"The martial law briefing must be given by the martial law administrator who is the secretary of the Department of National Defense, and the martial law implementor, who is the AFP chief of staff, plus the national Security Adviser," Koko Pimentel said.
The security breifing regarding the implementation of martial law over Mindanao is yet to be scheduled. The martial law which is supposed to only last for 60 days as stated in the 1987 revised constitution will lapse in two weeks time, or in July 22.
"If there is no intention to request for an extension, the martial law will lapse after 60 days so no need for briefing. But if they intend to ask, they better brief us," Pimental said.
It can be remembered that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the current president of the Philippines, placed the entire area of Mindanao under martial law on May 23 following the attacks from the Maute group.
The entire city of Marawi was then proliferated by the terrorist groups. The government later discovered that their opponent are not only from the Maute group but there is also an involvement of terrorist groups such as Abu Sayyaf.
The fighting in Marawi has led to casualties, to the armed forces of the AFP and the Philippine National Police, as well as civilians and terrorists.
The number of slain Maute members regularly increases and the government sees this as a progress, despite the unfortunate killing of AFP and PNP officers, as well as the death of innocent civilians that some blamed to airstrikes.
Just recently, four civilians were saved from being stuck inside the city, trapped there for 45 days and was able to survive by regularly seeking for food and a secured shelter where they can't be seen by the roaming Maute members.
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| Photo from Philstar |
The four was able to escape their entrapment by contacting their relatives through cellphone after they found a spare cellphone battery.
Government efforts to finish off the remaining members of the Maute group and other involved terrorist groups still continue up to this day, yet reports state that it is only a matter of time for the remaining Maute members to be slain.
Source: GMA News
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