Alvarez confident of Congress nod on martial law extension

FILE: House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. (Photo: Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez/Facebook)

MANILA — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday expressed confidence that Congress would approve President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for a full-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.

In an interview with reporters, Alvarez said as a Mindanaoan, he sees no reason why the second martial law extension would not be granted.

“Para sa akin na taga-Mindanao, I don’t see any reason why hindi pagbibigyan,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the province’s longstanding rebellion is further compounded by the threat of terrorism, both of which have yet to be curtailed.

“Yung rebellion matagal na sa amin yan eh kaya hindi talaga nakakaahon. Tapos meron pa ngayon nadagdag, yung terrorism.

“Yung nangyari sa Marawi wag natin sabihin na since tumigil na yung bakbakan yun eh basta tapos na yun. Hindi pa tapos yan,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said that the declaration of martial law in Mindanao gave the people an increased sense of safety.

“Pagka bumiyahe kami ngayon sa Mindanao, every kilometer or so merong checkpoint. Sanay na kami doon, mas gusto namin yun. Kasi sa checkpoint pinababa lahat, tinitingnan kung merong mga baril or explosives na dala. And we feel safer pagka ganyan.

In his letter dated December 8, President Duterte asked Congress to further extend the declaration of martial law in the whole of Mindanao for the entirety of 2018 to totally eradicate terror threats posed by remnants of Islamic State (IS)-linked terrorists and by communist rebels in the region.

He said extending the martial law for another year would help state security forces to crush the rebellion in Mindanao and ensure public safety.

Duterte highlighted the different threats facing Mindanao, which were part of the security assessment submitted to Malacañang by the AFP and the PNP.

He said that despite the deaths of almost a thousand IS-inspired extremists, including their leaders, in the battle of Marawi, remnants of the group and their supporters have continued their recruitment and training of new members “to carry on the rebellion.”

Congress is set to convene in a joint session on Wednesday to deliberate on the full-year extension of martial law.

President Duterte declared the entire Mindanao under martial law on May 23, 2017 after IS-inspired terrorists laid siege in Marawi City.

Congress, in a special joint session, granted the extension of martial law until December 31 on President Duterte’s request.

In October, Lorenzana announced the end of the five-month-long conflict between government forces and Maute terrorists in Marawi City following the death of top terrorist leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon.