DND, AFP laud martial law extension
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2018 12:00:51 +0000
LORENZANA
The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are grateful for the overwhelming vote of confidence of legislators as well as the strong support of the Filipino people, especially Mindanaoans, on the third extension of martial law in Mindanao.
In a statement, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that he is “joyed and relieved” that Congress granted their request to extend martial law for one more year.
“The AFP will continue to uphold its mandate of defending the sovereignty of our State, upholding the integrity of our territory and protecting the democratic way of life of our people, with full respect for human rights, international humanitarian law, and the primacy of the rule of law,” Lorenzana said.
“Pakaiingatan po namin ang tiwalang ito mula sa sambayanan at makakaasa po kayo na hindi ito masasayang,” he added.
AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo thanked Congress for extending martial law in Mindanao.
“We appreciate this grant that lengthens the period of martial law implementation, mindful that it is impressed with enormous responsibility on the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to quell the rebellion that persists in Mindanao and prevent lawless violence by local terrorist groups from spreading in other parts of the country,” Arevalo said.
“Apart from that reason, the extension seeks not only to sustain the economic gains owing to the peace and security in Mindanao, it also responds to positively to the clamor of local government executives to extend martial law implementation in the island because of law and order it provides to their constituents,” he added. (Francis Wakefield)