Four government troopers belonging to the Philippine Security Group were wounded in an encounter with more or less 50 armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army in the boundaries of North Cotabato, Bukidnon and this city on Wednesday morning, July 1.
It was not the first time that activist leaders of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (New Patriotic Alliance) were received by President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañan, but there was something different during the meeting this time.
President Rodrigo Duterte meets with members of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and lawmakers under the Makabayan bloc in Malacañan on Tuesday night. Duterte also met with the leaders of Bayan in Malacañan last year before his State of the Nation Address.
A Maranao woman leader said the decision to extend martial law in Mindanao spells nightmare for the residents of Marawi City, the Philippines only Islamic city where government troops continue to fight with extremists running for 57 days.
Various groups have expressed opposition to the plan of President Rodrigo Duterte to extend the imposition of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.