Philippine Congress extends martial law in Mindanao

A joint session of Philippine Congress agreed on Saturday to extend a 60-day martial law President Rodrigo Duterte imposed in the entire Mindanao region to quell terrorism and flush out militants in southern Philippines.

After debating for nearly seven hours, 261 lawmakers - 16 senators and 245 members of the House of Representatives - voted in favor of the extension. Only 18 voted against the motion - four senators and 14 members of the House of Representatives.

The vote came hours before the 60-day martial law proclamation ends on Saturday night.

On May 23, Duterte put the entire Mindanao under martial rule for 60 days after an estimated 700 extremists allied with the Islamic State (IS) group laid siege to the southern Marawi City.

In a letter to Congress last week, Duterte stressed the need to extend martial until Dec. 31, 2017, saying terror threat continues to hang over the Mindanao and that more time is needed to crush the terror network that plans to establish a caliphate in that region.

"Upon a thorough personal assessment of the current situation in Marawi City and other parts of Mindanao, I have come to the conclusion that the existing rebellion in Mindanao, which prompted me to issue Proclamation No. 216 on May 23, 2017, will not be quelled completely by July 22, 2017, the last day of the 60-day period provided under section 18, article 7 of the 1987 constitution," Duterte said in the letter to the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives.

"For this reason and because public safety requires it, I call upon the congress to extend until Dec. 31, 2017 or for such a period of time as the congress may determine the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao," he added.

The Malacanang presidential palace lauded the decision of the Congress. In a statement, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella reiterated the administration's position that the extension of martial law is "essential to overall peace and stability" of the country.

"The rebellion in Marawi continues to persist and we want to stop the spread of the evil ideology of terrorism and free the people of Mindanao from the tyranny of lawlessness and violent extremism," Abella said.

Now that the debate is over, he urged the nation "to get on with the job of nation-building and contribute to the attainment of the full promise of Mindanao."

"There is much work to be done to bring back public safety and law and order in the whole island of Mindanao. There is much work to be done in the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi. Together, let us transform Mindanao into a land of fulfillment," Abella said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the martial law administrator, and Gen. Eduardo Ano, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff and martial implementor, stressed the need to extend martial for another five months or until the end of the year.

Lorenzana said there is a continued presence of terrorists allied with IS militants, especially in the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Maguindanao and the Central Mindanao region.

Aside from the IS-linked Maute group, Lorenzana said the government is also dealing with other terror groups like the Abu Sayyaf group, Ansar-al Khalifa Philippines and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

"All of these groups have pledged (allegiance) to the Daesh (IS) and there was an order for them also to do their own version of Marawi in other areas," he said.

Ano, for his part, told the lawmakers that the Duterte administration is asking "for more time because we do not just want to finish Marawi, but the permanent threat in Mindanao brought about by these terrorist groups."

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea told Congress about the "newly evolving type of urban warfare" being waged by the terrorists to fortify their presence in the country.

Medialdea said the plotters of the May 23 Marawi attack are still "intact," referring to the Maute Brothers and Isnilon Hapilon, the alleged IS emir in Southeast Asia.

Of the 279 ordered to be arrested after the imposition of martial law, he said only 12 have so far been "neutralized" and the others continue to pose danger to the security and public safety of people in Mindanao.

Wearing an arm sling bandage, a soldier injured in Marawi also came to Congress to tell about his ordeal and the dangers facing government security forces in retaking Marawi.

Senator Gringo Honasan, who voted in favor of Duterte's request on the part of the Senate, said the extension would solve the problem of terrorism in Mindanao "as fast and as far as the law will allow," and help fast-track the "painful task" of rehabilitation and reconstruction of strife-torn Marawi City.

However, Duterte's political foes disagreed.

Senate Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon said there is no basis to extend martial law until the end of the year, adding that the basis for martial extension can not be supported by the situation on the ground. Moreover, he said that under the Constitution, only an actual rebellion or invasion would need a martial declaration.

The deliberation was briefly marred by protesters who managed to slip into the session hall. They displayed banners that read "Junk martial law in Mindanao," "No to Martial Law" and "Never again to martial law." Eight protesters were arrested as a result. More protesters held rallies outside of the building.

The ongoing Marawi conflict has so far claimed the lives of nearly 600 people, including 428 terrorists, 105 security forces and 45 civilians.

The Health Department said 40 more civilian evacuees who fled Marawi have also died from illnesses. It said nearly 500,000 civilians have been affected by the 60-day conflict.

More than 800 soldiers have also been wounded in the fighting to retake the rest of the city where around 80 militants are still holed up.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said there are 1,200 Islamist insurgents in Mindanao.