Philippines extends martial law in besieged region
Critics say move is not needed, could undermine democracy
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Congress voted Saturday to extend martial law in the southern part of the country, giving the military five more months to crush a rebellion there by Islamic State-inspired militants.
The decision, in a special session of Congress, comes two days before President Rodrigo Duterte is to deliver his annual state of the nation address, during which he is expected to outline his government’s achievements and plans.
Duterte had asked Congress, which is dominated by his allies, to approve his request to extend a proclamation placing the island of Mindanao under martial law for two months. The proclamation, which was set to expire Saturday evening, was put in place as the military struggled to contain a rebellion by members of the Islamist groups Abu Sayyaf and Maute in the city of Marawi, which is on Mindanao.
The decision was largely expected, with Duterte controlling majorities in the 294-member House of Representatives and the 24-member Senate. In the House, 245 members voted yes, as did 16 senators.
A presidential spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said after the vote: “We thank Congress for approving the extension of martial law until Dec. 31, 2017. The extension of martial law is essential to overall peace and stability. The rebellion in Marawi continues, and we want to stop the spread of evil ideology of terrorism and free the people of Mindanao from the tyranny of lawlessness and violent extremism.”
‘An exaggeration’
But critics say Duterte does not need the additional powers of martial law to defeat the militants. And analysts say he appears to be using the Marawi crisis as an excuse to impose authoritarian rule in the Philippines, one of Asia’s most freewheeling democracies, which in 1986 toppled the two-decade rule of strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
“Extending martial law can unmask the Duterte government’s real political intentions to apply authoritarian rule in the country, like the way he ruled Davao City for 20 years as a city mayor,” said Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research.
He added, “Extending martial law can undermine civilian authorities and the existing democratic process in the country.”
Banlaoi argued that the use of martial law was justified only as a temporary measure in an emergency situation. “But the aftermath of the Marawi siege has not yet created a similar situation in other cities,” he said, “and extending martial law is an exaggeration of the use of coercive power of the state.”
‘Lingering threat’
Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who voted against the extension, said that while she believed the threat of terrorism was real in Marawi, Duterte’s military officials had failed to present a compelling argument.
“Absent any plausible explanation, I can only reach one conclusion: Martial law has no strategic contribution to the military’s anti-terrorism operations in Marawi,” she said.
But the House speaker, Pantaleon Alvarez, said the vote reflected what a majority of the public believed was necessary to prevent the violence from spreading.
Alvarez pointed out that even if the Marawi crisis ended, there was still the lingering threat of retaliatory violence from the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups, which laid siege to Marawi while backed by fighters from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.