No Mindanao uprising to justify martial law extension—Drilon

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon (File photo by EDWIN BACASMAS / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon has disagreed with the new proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao, stressing that military rule should only be intended to quell rebellion.

Drilon told Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea during the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate on Wednesday that fighting an actual armed uprising was never mentioned as a justification for prolonging military rule in the south for another year.

“There is nothing in this foreground cited that shows actual uprising, actual rebellion, actual armed uprising,” he said, referring to President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to Congress.

“I highlight that what the Constitution requires is actual armed uprising, for the purpose of removing the government […] There is no ground, there is no actual armed uprising that is taking place in Mindanao to justify the extension of martial law,” the senator added.

Drilon also highlighted that Mindanao was placed under martial law last May 2017 because there was a legitimate uprising, after members of terrorist organizations Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf Group took over Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.

“We must recall that Proclamation 216 was premised on the siege of Marawi.  The local terrorist group was classified by the Armed Forces as merely, and I quote, merely a peace and order problem,” Drilon said.

“We must remember that martial law is the highest-form of self-preservation.  It cannot be the norm,” he pointed out.

According to Drilon, the Revised Penal Code provision on rebellion, states that actions considered as rebellion should be “committed by rising publicly and taking arms against the government for the purpose of removing from the allegiance to said government or its laws, the territory of the Republic of the Philippines or any part thereof, of any body of land, naval or other armed forces, or depriving the Chief Executive or the Legislature, wholly or partially, of any of their powers or prerogatives.”

The Congress is currently holding a joint session on the request of Duterte to extend martial law for another year, after two previous extensions in 2017.

According to the administration, lawless elements are still affecting the peace and order situation in Mindanao, necessitating the military rule and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus. /jpv

READ: Duterte formally asks Senate, House to extend martial law in Mindanao