Lorenzana: Nationwide martial law? That will never happen

The government has no plans of expanding the scope of martial law nationwide, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana assured on Saturday during the joint session of the Congress on the extension of military rule in Mindanao.

“Given the Abu Sayyaf attack in Bohol, will martial law be also declared in the Visayas? And given that the New People’s Army also operates in Luzon, will the island be part of the martial law coverage?” Senator Francis Pangilinan in his interpellation at the joint session on Saturday.

“Hindi mangyayari ‘yan (That will never happen),” Lorenzana, who is also the martial law administrator, answered.

Pangilinan also urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to submit regular reports on the human rights situation in the martial law-covered areas.

Lorenzana welcomed the senator’s proposal.

Also during his interpellation, Pangilinan, the Liberal Party president, said the minority lawmakers have accepted that they are likely to lose in the voting on the extension of martial law until December 31, 2017.

Last May 23, President Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under army rule when the members of the Maute terror group attacked Marawi, the capital city of Lanao del Sur.

On the 60th day of the implementation, both chambers of the Congress convened to decide whether to approve Duterte’s request to extend martial law for five more months.

The session is still ongoing as of posting. JPV