Minority solons seek extensive discussion on martial law

The Senate minority bloc on Tuesday vowed to ensure that issues surrounding the extension of martial law in Mindanao would be extensively tackled during the special joint session of Congress on Saturday and that the decision on President Duterte’s request would not be railroaded.

“In general, we will raise the issue on the need for an extension, the period of the extension and the coverage of martial law,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said a day before a security briefing in an executive session in the Senate on the initial 60-day martial law implementation.

But Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III predicted that Mr. Duterte’s request for an extension would be granted and that only the duration of the extension would be debated.

He said this was what he had gathered from the remarks of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas during a meeting between lawmakers and the President on Monday night.

“There will be those who will be against it but if we have a fair count of the vote we know that they will lose,” Pimentel told reporters.

He also said the Senate would give weight to Mr. Duterte’s request to extend martial law until the end of the year.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros called for “transparent, thorough and deliberative” proceedings during the special session this weekend.

“Congress is not a fast-food restaurant,” she said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the senators should raise during the session the question of “voting jointly.”

“We are only 24 compared to the nearly 300 congressmen. It doesn’t make sense that the Senate is rendered irrelevant under a bicameral system,” Lacson told reporters in a text message.

He also maintained that the Constitution dictated that Congress, voting jointly, by a majority vote had the sole authority to extend martial law.

“Since there is no limit specified as to the period of extension, Congress can extend the same for a period of one day ’til kingdom come or until the end of the world, or not extend at all,” he said.

Leftist lawmakers said they would oppose any extension of martial law.

“Placing Mindanao under a continued state of martial law will only place the country and our people in an even more disadvantaged and dangerous position. This will only embolden the military and police to commit more human rights violations and further endanger the lives of our people not just in Marawi but the whole of Mindanao,” said Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate.

Catholic bishops expressed opposition to the prolonged extension.

“If Marawi was the justification for the 60-day martial law in Mindanao—look, the government could not finish the war in 60 days. That sends a bad signal that they cannot handle it,” Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña said.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes said the President’s move “simply magnifies the threat of the Maute group in an unduly manner.”

“Martial law gives a false impression of our country to the international community. It hinders tourism and foreign investments,” he said. —WITH REPORTS FROM DJ YAP AND JULIE M. AURELIO