“All options are on the table” to deal security threats, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday, as he raised the prospect of placing the entire Philippines under martial law. The President warned that expanding the scope of martial law would be up to the “enemies of the state,” which according to him included the communist New People’s Army (NPA). ‘Difficult without martial law’Duterte said martial law would enable the military to arrest, detain and question sympathizers of rebellion in restive Mindanao. “Without the martial law powers, the ancillary powers attached to the implementor, the implementing agency, we will have a hard time. Malacañang appealed to the public for support following Congress’ approval of the President’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao.

Source: Manila Times December 13, 2017 17:15 UTC