MANILA – With the upcoming Bangsamoro plebiscite and midterm elections next year, it is only “practical” to extend the martial law in the entire Mindanao, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
But it is still too early to recommend such to President Rodrigo Duterte when the military rule will lapse on Dec. 31 yet, said Armed Forces chief Carlito Galvez.
“It’s still practical, [especially] that we will have a plebiscite in January and the coming (midterm) elections (in May),” Galvez said. “The success of the previous barangay elections, even in Marawi, was a sign that the martial law was effective in Mindanao.”
Duterte put Mindanao under martial law on May 23, 2017 – the same day the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorist group laid siege on Marawi City. Congress extended the martial law twice, the last set to expire by the end of 2018.
“We are also very happy that our stakeholders are satisfied that we are implementing martial law in Mindanao to the fullest of our capability as a professional armed forces,” said Galvez.
But the idea of further extending the military rule in the southern major island did not sit well with two opposition senators.
Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros insisted there is “no actual threat” in the region for the upcoming plebiscite and midterm elections, and martial law is not needed to rebuild the war-ravaged Muslim city.
“Hindi mo kailangan ng martial law para mag-rebuild. We can go back to the previous extension,” Aquino said. “Ang posisyon ng iba, ang nakalagay sa Constitution is an actual threat. Kahit may martial law, delayed pa rin naman ang rebuilding.”
According to Hontiveros, Duterte turned Mindanao into a “martial law laboratory” to test the sustainability of a “full authoritarian rule.”
“The entire Mindanao is under martial law for more than 500 days already. This is on top of the declaration of a state of national emergency last year in response to the Davao City bombing,” she said in a statement. “Post-Marcos, this is now the longest-running martial law in the country.”
“Is this now the new normal in the region? Or is Mindanao Duterte’s guinea pig for complete authoritarian rule?” Hontiveros said. “Is Mindanao now the President’s laboratory for his dangerous experiment to impose martial law all over the country?”/PN
