Martial law needed to quell terrorism in Mindanao

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s swift declaration of martial law in Mindanao Tuesday night, following the terrorist attack in Marawi City, has drawn mixed reactions from the public, with some critics quick to hark back to the abuses committed during the military rule of the Marcos regime.

Duterte’s declaration, however, should not come as a surprise as he had repeatedly threatened to impose martial law on the restive island to suppress terrorism and lawlessness.