Martial law and the Marawi siege: its most awaited ending
MARTIAL is an integral part of our constitution whether we are going to use the 1935 constitution going to the present one; the word “Martial Law” is clearly stated specifically, Section 18 of Article VII. Undeniably, the people of the Philippines had experienced both the positive and negative impacts of Martial Law during the declaration of the late president Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. The prime purpose of martial law is not to fear the people in the country; instead, it will secure the safeness of the society and the Philippine as a whole from the threat of terrorism, rebellion, and invasion, and if the public safety requires it. However, many are questioning the effects of the 1972 martial law proclamation in the long run.
In the light of this situation, the Filipino people has been stigmatized and learned from the effects brought by the martial law before, economically and politically. Thus, as much as possible, this bitter experience as they commonly described, should not be duplicated by whomever individual who will be holding the presidency of the country. Unexpectedly, a strongman from the south has won the presidential election last May of 2016. He started to mobilize the Philippine National Police in spearheading his drug campaign in the entire country; which seems to be bloody. Nevertheless, while the administration is too busy in eradicating drug menace in the country, another crucial problem had arise, and that is the urban terrorism in Marawi City or famously known as the Marawi Siege. Despite the absence of the president who was in Russia, he still proclaimed R.A. 216 placing the entire islands of Mindanao under Martial Law. With the declaration, the administration had received criticism from its critics or the opposing party which led to questioning the basis and legitimacy of the proclamation. In line with this, the Supreme Court of the Philippines had undergone series of debates and deliberations to respond to the criticisms raised by different political parties. Fortunately, after the deliberation majority of the justices voted that the proclamation is legitimate and has sufficient legal bases.
Furthermore, the Marawi Siege is considered the longest urban warfare in the Philippine history after World War Two for lasting more than five months. The people of this beautiful city were already incorrigible on how could they be able to surmount this ordeal which devastated their lives. Many soldiers and civilians sacrificed their lives due to this gruesome incident in our human history. It is very infuriating to see how our fellow Filipinos were fighting against each other just because of different ideologies. Many were dreaming that the Marawi Siege will last for just a day, a week, or a month; however, it turned to be boundless which led the people of this city to cry for justice and ask the government to stop the war.
Fortunately, their dream and fervent prayers has just granted when the President has recently declared that Marawi is already liberated from the cruel hands of the Maute-ISIS militants. This event had given the people of Marawi and the whole country a remarkable lesson that each and every one of us must carry in honor of those who have given personal sacrifices in giving the prosperous and originally peaceful city of Marawi the most awaited freedom and liberty. In other words, as according to Lincoln, it is not the years of our life that count but the life in our years which only means that cooperating and building solidarity towards unity is necessary in developing a highly respected and strong country.
This is the dramatic story of Marawi Siege and the Martial Law declaration which primary purpose and aim is to give freedom and protection in accordance to our constitution that embodies the promise of DEMOCRACY. Sammy Dayao & Trizia Mae Heruela