The Armed Forces of the Philippines expressed confidence on Sunday that it could convince Congress to approve a one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao. Noting a 38-percent downtrend in crime in the region, the AFP maintained that Mindanao residents were satisfied with the implementation of martial law and wanted it extended. ADVERTISEMENT‘Relatively peaceful’In a radio interview, Col. Noel Detoyato, chief of the AFP public affairs office (PAO) said most parts of Mindanao have been “relatively peaceful” with martial law in effect over the region. Detoyato pointed out that the AFP had prepared its report to Congress for the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao. Detoyato attributed the crime downtrend to “random, constant checkpoints that limit the movements of armed people and those with sinister plans.”“So there is relative peace in most of Mindanao.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 09, 2018 21:33 UTC