Duterte formally asks Congress for one-year Martial Law extension

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday has formally asked the Congress for the extension of Martial Law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the entire Mindanao after receiving further recommendations from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP).

The chief executed cited in his letter of recommendation that the continuous threat of terrorism and rebellion in the Mindanao makes the region “the hotbed of rebellion.”

Duterte also mentioned the ongoing massive recruitment activity in some parts near Marawi which was earlier reported by Lanao del Sur Assemblyman Zia Alonto Adiong.

“For all these reasons, I ask the congress of the Philippines to further extend the proclamation of Martial Law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao for a period of one year from 01 January 2018 to 31 December 2018, or for such other period of time as the Congress may determine, in accordance of Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” Duterte said in his letter dated December 8.

The president said that the martial law extension will help the government to completely suppress the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao.

“A further extension of the implementation of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao will help the AFP, the PNP and all other law enforcement agencies to completely quell and put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao and prevent the same from escalating to other parts of the country,” Duterte said.

“Public safety indubitably required such further extension, not only for the sake of security and public order, but more importantly to enable the government and the people of Mindanao to pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation and the promotion of a stable socio-economic growth and development,” he added.

Aside from the government forces, the Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the head of the Task Force Bangon Marawi Eduardo del Rosario earlier expressed a desire for the extension of martial law in the war-damaged Marawi City for the security of the whole rehabilitation effort.

[READ: Task Force Bangon Marawi chair Del Rosario seeks martial law extension]

“Personally, I would like that martial law will continue during the rehabilitation phase because as chairman of Task Force Bangon Marawi, my main concern is the security of the whole rehabilitation effort,” Del Rosario said during the TFBM press briefing in Malacañang today.