Discussion of President Duterte's declaration of "Martial Law" in Mindanao.

[Methersgate]

I had a chat with my favourite sister in law - she is a widowed teacher living in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur,  with three kids two of whom are over 18. Rose tells me that there is a 10pm curfew and that her neighbours, most of whom are Muslim (Maranons) have taken in many relatives fleeing Marawi, which is 100 miles to the East. She is not comfortable about the situation because of the tensions that will inevitably arise with the influx of people and the overcrowding.

So in her case the Martial Law proclamation has had an effect. 

Edited May 29, 2017 by Methersgate

[ITGeek]

One can't help but wonder the timing of the attack and DU30's visit to Russia.  This is the same time Trump's phone call to DU30 was leaked.  I can't stress enough about how one can easily connect the events to the US Deep State ("Black Hats").  There's quite a bit of foreign influence in the Muslim Autonomous Region and it's certainly not the Chinese.  Like Trump, DU30 is not paranoid if everyone is out to get them.

All I can say is the best course of action would be for DU30 to rip up that treaty and "occupy" the region with troops and all mosques and imams must register with the local government.  I don't see the 95% of Christians in the Philippines killing imams, Muslims and burning down mosques.  If the 5% of Philippines want to practice their "religion of peace", then they better step up and prove it by purging the scum among them.

I personally have Muslim friends who had to flee Iran in the early 1980's after the Ayatollah's took over.  Sadly, what you see in Muslim countries when the fundamentalists and extremists take over, are the educated and professionals flee.  The ones left are the poor and uneducated who become easily radicalized.

[KC813]

2 hours ago, ITGeek said:

One can't help but wonder the timing of the attack and DU30's visit to Russia.  This is the same time Trump's phone call to DU30 was leaked.  I can't stress enough about how one can easily connect the events to the US Deep State ("Black Hats").  There's quite a bit of foreign influence in the Muslim Autonomous Region and it's certainly not the Chinese.  Like Trump, DU30 is not paranoid if everyone is out to get them.
 

I'm not saying you are wrong with your inference, but as to the timing of the attack, we need to remember that this firefight was started by the AFP with a 'surgical operation' in Marawi in a failed attempt to capture Abu Sayaf's leader Isnilon Hapilon.  It was then the full Maute group mobilized and joined the fray.

Questionable mission planning?  Mamasapano redux?

 

[ITGeek]

2 hours ago, KC813 said:

I'm not saying you are wrong with your inference, but as to the timing of the attack, we need to remember that this firefight was started by the AFP with a 'surgical operation' in Marawi in a failed attempt to capture Abu Sayaf's leader Isnilon Hapilon.  It was then the full Maute group mobilized and joined the fray.

Questionable mission planning?  Mamasapano redux?

 

Did you see the twitter link in my earlier post?  It was a report of ISIS activity in that same area many weeks earlier.  In many of the pics, you can clearly see foreign fighters.  So this is more than the Maute group or Isnilon Hapilon.  They've been conducting terrorist training and ops for quite some time.  It's also obvious from their battlefield tactics they've got state level foreign advisers and financial resources. 

I agree, there shouldn't be any surgical ops by the AFP in future.  Instead they need to simply occupy the region and DU30 withdraw from Autonomous Zone treaty by the previous administration.

Edited May 29, 2017 by ITGeek
Adding comment

[virginprune]

Curfew from 11pm until 4am and no ID no entry imposed in Koronadal City from today. This is posted on the Koronadal City Facebook page. 

Please don't ask me to supply a link as I am a Luddite!

[mogo51]

On 5/24/2017 at 8:06 AM, Tukaram (Tim) said:

My brother in law is from Marawi, but has lived in Manila more of his life than Marawi.  We will never see it, as my wife refuses to go to any part of Mindanao. 

She is sensible Tim.

[virginprune]

On 19 June 2017 at 4:47 PM, virginprune said:

Curfew from 11pm until 4am and no ID no entry imposed in Koronadal City from today. This is posted on the Koronadal City Facebook page. 

Please don't ask me to supply a link as I am a Luddite!

Update: Going to immigration today in Gensan, when arriving at army checkpoint we all got off bus as usual but this time everybody had to show ID. I showed my ACR card and was asked where I come from and what my business was. I replied that I was a retired tourist, he then asked if I had a visa and could he see it. I provided him with my passport and he skipped through it and asked me if I came and went often, I replied that I had been here for two years. Then my SO joined me from the female queue and his mood changed to affable and told me to marry her and make her happy. My point is that on another thread I pointed out that since martial law foreigners were required to carry passports for ID. This post was dismissed by some that insinuated that I didn't know what I was talking about! However, today's experience lends credence to my original post,especially if passing through an army checkpoint. What would the outcome have been if I had not had my passport with me? This is relevant in at least two provinces in Mindanao so it is quite realistic to assume that it is widespread, at least on this island.

[Jollygoodfellow]

On 6/19/2017 at 5:36 PM, mogo51 said:

We will never see it, as my wife refuses to go to any part of Mindanao. 

My wife does not refuse as she is from there and her family live there in Mindanao. If fact she will be going back next month for her father's death anniversary. Not all of Mindanao is a war zone. 

[mogo51]

14 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

My wife does not refuse as she is from there and her family live there in Mindanao. If fact she will be going back next month for her father's death anniversary. Not all of Mindanao is a war zone. 

Obviously you are correct JGF, but that does not stop me making a 'sensible' call and staying away - there are plenty of other places to see in the Philippines that do not have this sort of problem.

[Gratefuled]

On 5/30/2017 at 7:40 AM, ITGeek said:

Did you see the twitter link in my earlier post?  It was a report of ISIS activity in that same area many weeks earlier.  In many of the pics, you can clearly see foreign fighters.  So this is more than the Maute group or Isnilon Hapilon.  They've been conducting terrorist training and ops for quite some time.  It's also obvious from their battlefield tactics they've got state level foreign advisers and financial resources. 

I agree, there shouldn't be any surgical ops by the AFP in future.  Instead they need to simply occupy the region and DU30 withdraw from Autonomous Zone treaty by the previous administration.

Yes, The ARMM should be dissolved but President Duterte was in favor of replacing it with the BBL. This would be worse because it would allow Muslims to rule the area under Sharia Law and not have to comply with Philippine Law. The Non Muslims now living there would be persecuted and forced to flee to Non Muslim area. Many already have.

If BBL is approved, it would be a new breeding ground for Muslim extremists from other Southeast Asian countries and Middle East.

Look for BBL in the News soon.