http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/863412/duterte-i-would-declare-martial-law-quietly-if-needed The President has expanded on last week's comments, and indicated that it would be the threat from ISIS and "nationalism in Mindanao" that would force his hand to declare Martial Law "quietly".
I can certainly understand him wanting to tackle the threat from Daesh whose Filipino fighters are reputedly the most bloodthirsty and depraved of all Daesh's "soldiers". These are quite separate from Abu Sayaf which is the rival Al Qaida faction.
This is all, and I use the term as my American friends use it, quite remarkable. The Abu Sayyaf are a kidnap for ransom gang, with negligible interest in religion, who have recently discovered that kidnapping seamen from passing merchant ships is more profitable than kidnapping tourists, and are happily copy catting the Hobbits (the gangs of Somali pirates who operated out of Hobyo). One does wonder why the dangers in Mindanao are so much greater now that the President comes from Mindanao, and one wonders why the President, who claims to support federalism, is so worried about "nationalism in Mindanao"?
The megalomaniacal Duterte is plainly seeking to become a dictator. He is just too stupid to be subtle about it. In the meantime, his mutterings serve to bully and intimidate those who may feel like opposing him.
Given his poor health and heavy use of Fentanyl, a highly addictive painkiller, one working assumption is that he intends to hand over to Bongbong Marcos, whose sister bankrolled his election. The abuse of Fentanyl shows up in his erratic behaviour.
Ironically this may be an area that the Philippines will welcome assistance from the Chinese Navy. Very few foreign-going vessels venture between (say) Cebu and Mindanao, but there are rich pickings to the north and west with the busy shipping lanes between Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. He's referring to ARMM, I think.
The Philippines has just (last week!) to general regional surprise, signed a hot pursuit agreement with Malaysia and Indonesia allowing each other's Naval forces to enter one another's territorial waters in hot pursuit of AS. ARMM is much to weak to secede of course.
That is excellent news. Both Malaysia and Indonesia have modern, fast and well-armed vessels all of which are at least a couple of decades younger than anything in the Philippine fleet. However piracy is not an unknown occupation in parts of Indonesia. ... And internally divided ...
http://www.manilatimes.net/duterte-declares-martial-law-september-22-2017/308090/ Interesting reading, though purely the opinion of the author. Is anyone able to explain what the "third armed force" is? Does it exist, or is it a perception that it exists?
