ZAMBOANGA City mayor on Monday, May 29, said the imposition of curfew in the city is not imminent since the situation does not warrant it.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the city maintained a level of normalcy despite the ongoing firefight between government troops and the Maute group in Marawi City that prompted President Duterte to declare martial law over Mindanao.
Salazar said the imposition of curfew would hamper activities as well as the way of life of people, particularly, those who are working on graveyard shifts.
She said its imposition will also affect the people, who are traveling and those who encounter emergency situations such as purchasing medicines and other stuffs late at night.
There are some villages, however, that are implementing curfew for minors and some are implementing their own version of the curfew but based on the request of the residents themselves.
City Administrator Angelique Go said it is business as usual in the city despite the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
“There are those who would not go out at night, but there are no substantial decrease in sales,” she added.
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the declaration of one-man rule in Mindanao will last for 60 days. (Bong Garcia/VoxPop Philippines)