Martial law extension may be used to favor admin allies in polls, says lawmaker

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate on Monday warned that the proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao could be “exploited to ensure the victory of administration allies” in the 2019 midterm elections.

“Ang mga ganitong pakana ay posibleng gamitin din para tiyakin na mananalo ang mga alyado ng administrasyon sa darating na eleksyon dahil kapag iniextend pa ang batas militar sa Mindanao ay siguradong aabutin ito ng eleksyon sa 2019,” Zarate said in a statement.

(Such schemes are likely to be used to ensure that the allies of the administration will win in the upcoming elections because if martial law is extended, the period will definitely cover the 2019 elections.)

“Ayaw natin ng martial law dahil pinatindi lang nito ang paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa Mindanao (We do not want martial law because it only intensifies the violation of human rights in Mindanao),” the progressive lawmaker added.

Iligan Rep. Frederick Siao filed on November 14 House Resolution No. 2302 which urged President Rodrigo Duterte to extend martial law in the southern region, citing “initial reports of terrorist plots and the need to secure the May 2019 elections.”

READ: Solon seeks extension of martial law in Mindanao until June 2019

“It is urgently imperative that government authority must ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest May 2019 elections in Mindanao, including and especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and adjacent regions, to secure the integrity of the ballots and safety of voters and elections personnel and to ensure that the duly-elected officials are installed,” Siao said.

Duterte first declared martial law in Mindanao on May 23, 2017, after the Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorist group attacked Marawi City. The Congress, upon his recommendation, later extended it until the end of 2018 despite the government’s declaration of an end to fierce urban fighting in the war-torn area. /ee