A military convoy en-route to Marawi City to re-enforce the operating troops fighting against Islamist terrorist . (Photo by : Richel V. Umel/ Inquirer Mindanao)
An independent minority lawmaker in the House of Representatives said he would be filing a resolution calling for an investigation on the situation in Marawi City under martial law, and how martial rule contributed in the government troops’ battle to crush the Maute terrorists.
In an interview with radio dzBB Sunday, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said he would file a resolution urging the appropriate House committee to invite Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on the inquiry in aid of legislation.
Baguilat said to be objective, he would request in his resolution that the AFP and Lorenzana prepare a report on how President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law declaration in the whole of Mindanao helped government in flushing out the terrorists in Marawi City.
“Naghahanda ako ng resolution, na nire-request ang AFP at si Secretary Lorenzana na magkaroon ng ulat sa Kongreso kung ano na ang sitwasyon sa Marawi at paano ba nakatulong yung martial law,” Baguilat said.
(I’m preparing a resolution requesting the AFP and Secretary Lorenzana to report to Congress what the situation is in Marawi and how martial law is helping.)
“Let’s be objective about it. Paano ba natulong ang martial law doon sa pagsugpo ng terorista sa Marawi (How did martial law help in the fight against the terrorists in Marawi)?” he added.
Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
He said he filed his resolution to compare the situation in Marawi City under martial law to the crisis in Zamboanga City, where military troops were able to curb a rogue faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 2013 without the need for martial law.
READ: What Went Before: The MNLF siege of Zamboanga City
“Kasi kailangang ikumpara natin. Tulad nung nangyari sa Zamboanga, walang martial law yun at malaking pwersa ‘yan. Compare sa Marawi na ganon din, may pwersa, nag-declare ng martial law,” Baguilat said.
(We need to compare it. For example, the incident in Zamboanga didn’t have martial law and there were forces. Compare it to Marawi now, there are forces, martial law was declared.)
Baguilat said he would want to know how martial law helped government troops crush the terrorists to justify an impending extension, which he said may be pushed by Congress on the day of the President’s Sona.
READ: Solon fears Congress may extend martial law on day of Sona
The President’s martial law is set to expire on July 22, before Duterte is expected to deliver his Sona on July 24. The chief executive said he has no plans of lifting martial law in the Mindanao region unless the military tells him to.
Even Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Duterte’s bosom buddy in Congress, said he would be proposing to extend martial law until the end of President Duterte’s term.
READ: Speaker pushing for 5 more years of martial law
Baguilat belongs to the independent minority bloc, who asked the Supreme Court to nullify President Duterte’s martial law proclamation for lack of factual basis.
But majority of the magistrates found the President’s declaration valid. Baguilat said the independent minority bloc would appeal the decision this week to maintain that there is no factual basis for the President to declare martial rule in the whole of Mindanao.
READ: SC upholds validity of martial law in Mindanao
“Ang contention naman namin, hindi kailangan ang martial law. But since na-declare ang martial law, (we want to know) paano ito nakatulong dun sa military doon sa kanilang pagsugpo ng terrorism sa Marawi,” Baguilat said.
(Our contention is that martial law is not needed. But since martial law was declared, we want to know how it helped the military in their fight againts the terrorists in Marawi.)
Baguilat said his resolution may call on the House defense and human rights committees to jointly conduct the probe to also look into alleged human rights violations in Mindanao under martial law.
“Ang initial na mungkahi is parang joint committee ng defense and human rights. Kasi gusto din naming malaman, mayroon kasing mga ulat na may mga posibleng human rights abuses o human rights violations,” Baguilat said.
(Our initial proposal is for a joint committee of defense and human rights. Because we want to know, there are reports that there are possible human rights abuses or human rights violations.)
“So kinakailangan na ring alamin natin kaya nga gusto naming makasama ‘yong human rights committee doon sa pagsisiyasat sa sitwasyon ng martial law sa Marawi (So we need to know, that’s why we want the human rights committee to be part of the probe into the situation of martial law in Marawi),” he added. JE
READ: Lawyers’ group slams military’s ‘abuses’ in Mindanao