16 June 2016•Update: 22 June 2016
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines
The incoming chief of the Philippines’ military revealed Thursday that security forces are considering whether to place two troubled southern island provinces under martial law after Daesh-affiliated militants beheaded a second Canadian hostage.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, Southern Luzon Command commanding general, told reporters that the military would evaluate the possibility of such measures in Sulu and Basilan -- known Abu Sayyaf strongholds -- before recommending it to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
"Perhaps martial law can be also an answer to prevent the Abu Sayyaf from continuing their kidnapping activities. If the outcome of our study is positive, we can recommend that to the incoming president," the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted him saying.
He noted that they had seen a “failure of governance” in the provinces, despite 11 battalions -- each consisting of 400 to 500 troops -- being deployed in Sulu’s capital Jolo alone.
"We have already enough troops but the problem, as you can see, is the terrain; it’s hard to search because of that. They [militants] create underground tunnels so it’s really hard to locate them, and perhaps if there’s an imposition of martial law, we could control their movements," Visaya said.
On Monday, the Abu Sayyaf beheaded Robert Hall in Sulu after their deadline for a 600 million peso ($13 million) ransom passed, after having executed Robert Ridsdel in April.
The group is believed to still be holding captive the Canadians’ companions, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad and Filipina Marites Flor, who were abducted alongside them in September.
On Wednesday, outgoing President Aquino visited Sulu, where he admitted to having considered declaring martial law in the remote island before deciding against such a move.
“Yes [I considered it]. In Sulu, in particular. But of course we have to consider the forces we have to use to implement it and there is no guarantee that there will be positive results,” the Philstar news website quoted him saying. “There might even be negative results. The enemies might gain more sympathy.”
Sulu’s governor, Abdusakur "Toto" Tan II, addressed such an option during an interview Thursday with news broadcaster ABS-CBN.
He expressed reservation due to the proposal bringing to mind “stories of how martial law brought horrors” to Sulu under later dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, who had declared martial law across the Philippines in 1972.
Tan, however, underlined that the local government might not be entirely opposed to the idea if it could be effective against the Abu Sayyaf.
The governor said that if Duterte -- who served as mayor of southern Davao City for 22 years -- is serious about such measures, he would want to discuss together the ways in which martial law would be implemented.
Duterte, who won the May 9 election on a crime-fighting campaign, has made overtures toward the country’s communist insurgency and its one-time largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is involved in an ongoing peace process.
His incoming peace negotiator, Jesus Dureza, however, insisted last week that Duterte would not negotiate with the Abu Sayyaf or other “terror groups engaged in crimes”.
Since 1991, the Abu Sayyaf group -- armed with mostly improvised explosive devices, mortars and automatic rifles-- has carried out bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortions in a self-determined fight for an independent province in the Philippines.
It is notorious for beheading victims after ransoms have failed to be paid for their release.
