Solon: More rights violations in Martial Law extension

“Aren’t the abuses committed by our uniformed personnel, the military, and the threat to public safety?” she added. (Photo: Sarah Elago/Facebook)

The one-year extension of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the entire region of Mindanao would pave way for more human rights violations, a solon said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, majority of the members of the Congress affirmed the request of President Rodrigo Duterte for the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

During a joint session, the Senate voted 14-4 while the House voted 226-23 extending martial law until Dec. 31, 2018.

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago presented to lawmakers the reports of human rights violations cases after Mindanao was placed under Martial law.

Elago said that there were around 14,000 cases of human rights violations in the five-month-long battle in Marawi City based on evidence from the regional human rights commission of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Under these situations, isn’t it the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) itself spreads gloom and fear?” Elago said in Filipino.

“Aren’t the abuses committed by our uniformed personnel, the military, and the threat to public safety?” she added.

Elago also urged the armed forces to look into the human rights violations cases after martial law was declared in Marawi.

The solon also hit Executive Salvador Medialdea’s statements that the Duterte administration is only after “unlimited peace” in Mindanao, saying it was a “blatant lie”.

Elago said that even before the uniformed forces wage war against local terrorists in the region, the former have been attacking Lumads in Mindanao.

“If they themselves are being attacked just to give way for the interests of big businesses and foreigners here in our country, then it’s a big lie,” Elago said.

“It seems like the administration wants unlimited peace, unlimited plunder, unlimited corruption of the natural resources of Mindanao and the Philippines,” she added.