Army chief withdraws martial law recommendation for Sulu

Updated Sun, August 30, 2020 at 11:59 AM Published Sun, August 30, 2020 at 10:28 AM

Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana has withdrawn his recommendation to place Sulu under martial law following recent bombings.

He stated that there might be other better options and expressed respect for the national leadership and public sentiment.

The recommendation for martial law came after twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu, on August 24, which resulted in at least 15 deaths and 74 injuries.

While the Philippine National Police supported the martial law proposal, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rejected it.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay noted that other options exist to contain terrorists in Sulu.

These options include Presidential Proclamation 55 placing Mindanao under a state of national emergency and the newly-enacted Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

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Philippine National Police Armed Forces of the Philippines Delfin Lorenzana

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