MANILA, June 29 (PNA) — “Bangon Marawi” is now in place, after the Marawi crisis, reconstruction and rehabilitation will come in.
This was divulged by National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. during the 1st Round Table Discussion on Martial Law at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City on Thursday.
The round table discussion was conducted through the auspices of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
As far as he is concerned, Esperon said that he would really go for Martial Law because big things were at stake.
“We have to put control to all of these things,” he said.
The troops are only doing their share under the Martial Law.
Likewise, Esperon said that he would like to amend Republic Act No. 9372, or the “Human Security Act”, with intricacies with more problems to implement.
“We are now fighting a different thing — violent extremism,” he said.
He agreed with Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer that Martial Law is not the only way to peace and security.
“Employ the military to suppress violence in Marawi, because it could be another Mosul (Iraq),” he said.
Esperon had been in Mindanao for 10 years, noting that Mindanaoans are very cooperative.
He stressed that ISIS is a non-state actor but has become more military-like.
“Martial Law is a just a tool, only for 60 days,” Esperon said.
He stressed that Martial Law is not to harass people, but more of securing the majority of the people.
Esperon cited that King Abdullah of Jordan is now in the forefront of countering violent extremism.
Commonalities between President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and then President and now Pampanga (2nd District) Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, both are decisive in comparing the Martial Law declared by then President Arroyo, who was raised in Iligan City, to suppress lawless violence in Maguindanao in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre that claimed the lives of 58 civilians, including 15 women and 28 media practitioners in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009.
Esperon said that Mindanao should not be considered as the “backdoor” of Southern Philippines, but the “gateway” to the Muslim world.
He added that this was the “essence” of the BIMP-EAGA (Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asian Growth Area). (PTR/PNA)