Martial law declared over Mindanao in response to the siege in Marawi City ends today, July 22.
After 60 days, government forces have neither liberated the city nor contained the threat that terror would spread to other places in Mindanao, even to the rest of the country.
Hundreds have died and thousands have been displaced, but it appears the terrorists are just too difficult to contain.
Whether this is a testament to their might, or our military’s inadequacy, or both, is difficult to tell. What is certain is a common desire —shared by Filipinos from President Duterte to the common office employee stuck in Metro Manila traffic or a mother in an evacuation center in Iligan City—for the government to end the siege and snuff out all terror elements that threaten to disrupt our way of life, difficult as it already is.
Recent polls say most Filipinos support martial law, and earlier this month the Supreme Court decided the declaration had legal and factual basis. And so today Congress convenes on whether martial law should be extended, and if so, how long that extension shall be.
We would not take any suggestions from politicians who want martial law until the end of President Duterte’s term. We do see the need, however, for the task to be completed. So yes, grant Mr. Duterte’s request for an extension until the end of the year, because the terrorists need to be stopped before they get even stronger.
In the meantime, we need to identify what we did wrong or inadequately during the first 60 days. What do we have to do differently? What have we not tried before? Are there additional risks and external factors that make the job more difficult by the day?
The government has already embarrassed itself by missing self-imposed deadlines for when the Maute group would be defeated. It will be another embarrassment if nothing remains accomplished at the end of the year.
Then again, embarrassment should be the least of Mr. Duterte’s concerns. Think of lives lost by the day, displaced families, school and business distractions. The longer the fighting continues, the harder it will be to recover.
“A lot more needs to be done,” President Duterte said, justifying his request for an extension. We take liberty with his words and urge the administration to get these terrorists once and for all, because the business of governing is not confined to extinguishing the fighting in Marawi.
Precisely, a lot more needs to be done to move Mindanao, and the rest of the nation, forward.