Alvarez: Congress expected to extend martial law by 1 more year

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Tuesday that he expects Congress to grant President Rodrigo Duterte's request to extend the effectivity of martial law until the end of 2018, citing the continuing presence of security threats and the support of the people of Mindanao for the extension.

Alvarez said the extension of military rule for another year was necessary since rebellion was continuing in Mindanao even after Marawi City was liberated from Islamic State-inspired militants who tried to establish a province of the extremist group in the lakeside town.

"As a person from Mindanao, I don't see any reason why we should not grant it," Alvarez said in Filipino in a press briefing.

In a letter to Congress dated December 8 and made available only on December 11, Duterte cited the continuing threats of the Islamist militants, local terrorist groups and communist rebels in justifying his request to extend martial law in Mindanao, an island of 22 million already home to some of the poorest regions in the country.

Duterte said some surviving members of the Maute Group, which led the attack on the Islamic City on May 23 prompting the president to place the region under martial law, were actively recruiting members in Maguindanao, North Cotabato, Sulu and Basilan.

According to the president, martial law extension would "ensure total eradication of DAESH-Inspired Da’awatul islamiyah Waliyatui Masriq (DIWM), other like-minded Local/Foreign Terrorist Groups (L/FTGs) and Armed Lawless Groups (ALGs), and the communist terrorists (CTs) and their coddlers, supporters, and financiers."

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"We cannot say that the security concerns in Mindanao have already ceased after the end of the Marawi crisis. They are not yet over. There are still movements and remaining members who are there," the leader of the Philippine House of Representatives said.

He also pointed to the continuing extortion activities of Maoist rebels, already declared as terrorists by the government, against plantations, mining firms, bus companies, contractors and other big businesses as a further basis of the extension of martial law.

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Opposition lawmakers and human rights activists are against the extension of martial law in Mindanao, saying that there is no legal basis for such a move. They added that it could lead to more human rights abuses by security forces in the region.

Sens. Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino also said that there was no basis to extend military rule in Mindanao since there was no actual rebellion following the liberation of Marawi City from militants in October.

Rep. Gary Alejano said that the reasons for the extension were "not constitutional grounds because they merely fall as threat or imminent danger."

Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said that the extension could pave the way for a declaration of military rule in the entire Philippines.

The group has recorded 29 victims of extrajudicial killings in Mindanao since it was placed under military rule on May 23.

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Alvarez, however, dismissed these concerns. "The perspectives of civilians and of the military and the police are different. This is the reason why the president listens to the military and police because they know the situation better."

Alvarez also claimed that the people of the region and businesses felt more secure with martial law in place.

"In fact, I noticed that more tourists are going to Mindanao since martial law was declared," he said. "What I am saying is a survey among businessmen should be conducted. Ask them if their business predictions have gone up or down."

The House on Tuesday held majority and minority caucuses to listen to the briefing of Palace officials on the basis of the president's request.

The House and the Senate are expected to convene in a joint session on Wednesday to decide whether or not to approve the president's martial law extension request.