Duterte asks Congress for 3rd martial law extension — Medialdea

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the 85th anniversary of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at The Forum of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Grounds in Pasay City on December 6, 2018. RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

Granting the recommendation of his military and police forces, President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao for the third time, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said on Friday, December 7.

Asked by the media on how long Duterte has sought for the third martial extension and the area it will cover, Medialdea said, “One year and Mindanao.

” If Congress will approve the President’s request, Mindanao will be kept under military rule until December 31, 2019.

He added that Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “would call for a joint session probably on the President’s request for the extension of martial law.”

Sotto already told the reporters that the Chief Executive might call for a joint session on Wednesday, December 12.

Under Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution, Duterte can only declare martial law “in case of invasion or rebellion” or “when the public safety requires it.

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It was in May 2017 when Duterte put the entire Mindanao under martial law amid clashes between government troops and the Islamic State (ISIS)-inspired Maute group that laid siege on Marawi City on May 23 of that year.

The first extension happened when Congress approved Duterte’s request to make the declaration last until the end of 2017. The solons, in December 2017, voted anew to extend the military rule in Mindanao until the end of 2018.

The outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Carlito Galvez, who is set to retire next week, earlier said they want to recommend to Duterte to have the third martial law extension, for a year, as terrorism is still “lurking” in the area.

“There is really a need to constrict and limit the maneuver space of the terrorists to the maximum. We have a very weak terrorism law, so with that, martial law is needed to completely defeat terrorism,” he said.

But for Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, martial law in Mindanao should not be extended again because “rebellion does not persist in Mindanao.”

“The entire duration of martial law in Mindanao totals to about 586 days. That’s too long. That’s a mockery of the constitutional injunction of a short duration for martial law and its extension,” Lagman told ANC in a previous interview.

He added that extending martial law only showed that the military and police have “failed” to attain the military rule’s purported objectives.

Lagman then said he will challenge any request for an extension of martial law before the Supreme Court (SC).