Communist guerrillas abducted two soldiers and at least a dozen militiamen in an attack on an army base in the south of the Philippines on Wednesday, the Associated Press reports, quoting Military Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. Previously, two opposition lawmakers said President Rodrigo Duterte’s government had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove a third extension of martial law in Mindanao is needed to quell rebellion and develop the southern island. The martial law, which was first declared on the island in May 2017, was set to expire this month but was extended by the Philippine Congress this week until the end of 2019. The increasing militarization of Mindanao has created more problems for civilians.