NorCot PPOC backs martial law, mulls anti-terror social profiling
Published Jul 13, 2020 12:37 am
By Ali Macabalang
The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) of North Cotabato has manifested support to President Duterte’s martial law declaration across Mindanao, authorizing even an anti-terror social profiling in villages within the province.
The PPOC, in its emergency meeting presided in Kidapawan City on Thursday by North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza as council chair, unanimously passed three resolutions, one of which expressed cooperation in the enforcement of the martial law declared by the President on May 23 night shortly after jihadist militants occupied Marawi City that day.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza (center) presides PPOC's emergency meeting in Kidapawan City. (Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Some 100 civilian, police and military representatives including lawyers expressed a common belief that the 60-day state of martial law would be better than that of former President Marcos’ 1972 declaration because “soldiers now are manifestly professionalized.”
Local prosecutors and trial court judges believe that while Malacañang has yet to issue the implementing guidelines for the declaration, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus would not supersede the “bill of rights” guaranteed in the 1987 Constitution.
In fact, “anyone” from the civilian sector can petition the Supreme Court to review the “factual basis” of the martial law, Kidapawan City councilor Francis Palmones Jr., a former regional court judge, told the meeting.
In another resolution, the PPOC authorized the conduct by the local police of mass social profiling among villagers in the province to ensure that terror elements could not infiltrate law-abiding residents.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, provincial police director who proposed such move, said the social profiling will start within this month with elected civilian officials accompanying police and military people in the house-to-house visits.
Peralta said government forces are closely watching towns in the borders of North Cotabato with Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao to prevent surprise attacks by lawless elements “sympathetic” to the jihadist Maute group.
He was referring to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf, both outlawed bands that espouse allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in similar fashion the Maute group does.
Officers of the Army’s 602nd and 102nd Infantry Brigades present at the PPOC meeting said additional soldiers and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units have been posted on checkpoints and strategic areas to prevent any terror elements from entering North Cotabato and other Central Mindanao communities.
North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza (center) presides PPOC's emergency meeting in Kidapawan City. (Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
Some 100 civilian, police and military representatives including lawyers expressed a common belief that the 60-day state of martial law would be better than that of former President Marcos’ 1972 declaration because “soldiers now are manifestly professionalized.”
Local prosecutors and trial court judges believe that while Malacañang has yet to issue the implementing guidelines for the declaration, the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus would not supersede the “bill of rights” guaranteed in the 1987 Constitution.
In fact, “anyone” from the civilian sector can petition the Supreme Court to review the “factual basis” of the martial law, Kidapawan City councilor Francis Palmones Jr., a former regional court judge, told the meeting.
In another resolution, the PPOC authorized the conduct by the local police of mass social profiling among villagers in the province to ensure that terror elements could not infiltrate law-abiding residents.
Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta, provincial police director who proposed such move, said the social profiling will start within this month with elected civilian officials accompanying police and military people in the house-to-house visits.
Peralta said government forces are closely watching towns in the borders of North Cotabato with Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao to prevent surprise attacks by lawless elements “sympathetic” to the jihadist Maute group.
He was referring to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf, both outlawed bands that espouse allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in similar fashion the Maute group does.
Officers of the Army’s 602nd and 102nd Infantry Brigades present at the PPOC meeting said additional soldiers and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units have been posted on checkpoints and strategic areas to prevent any terror elements from entering North Cotabato and other Central Mindanao communities.