There’s enough budget for martial law extension — senators

MANILA, Philippines — There is enough allocation in the 2018 national budget to fund the government’s implementation of martial law in Mindanao for one year, senators said yesterday.

The assurance came after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spent some P4 billion during the five-month battle against Islamic State-linked Maute militants in Marawi City.

The joint session was held to deliberate on President Duterte’s request to extend the martial law that he declared on May 23 after the Maute militants took over Marawi City. Congress granted his request by an overwhelming vote of 240-27.

Lorenzana said the figure includes the cost of ammunition, fuel, food, medicine and other combat requirements. He said the AFP is seeking a “reimbursement” to replace the expended munitions.

Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said there are sufficient funds in the P3.7- trillion national budget for 2018 to sustain the military offensives against the Islamic extremists, whom security officials told lawmakers were regrouping, rearming and recruiting to stage more attacks.

“We have put in funds for intelligence operations and acquisition of equipment to support our troops in fighting terror,” Legarda said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said operations in the coming year will likely be more sporadic, unlike the fierce battle in Marawi City. 

“I think the operations will be more on intelligence gathering and arrests,” said Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin, in voting against the extension, disputed Lorenzana’s figures.

“President Duterte’s war in Mindanao saw us spending P587.1 billion since martial law was declared six months ago. Another extension will bleed democracy and funds to fight poverty,” Villarin said.

Following the congressional approval to extend martial law in Mindanao, the AFP said it would faithfully perform its mandate to protect the people in the region.

“We see the grant of the extension of martial law as an acknowledgment of the grounds we have cited that need immediate and decisive actions,” Arevalo said.

The Department of National Defense  is confident that with the martial law extension, reconstruction of and rehabilitation of Marawi City can now move unhampered.

Defense officials said it could take until January before rebuilding can start, with the heart of the city littered with unexploded bombs and booby traps and buildings on the brink of collapse after months of government air strikes.

Military operations have cost P5 billion and the government estimates it could take 10 times that much to rebuild Marawi.

Defense spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the challenges the government is facing in Mindanao are the same ones that Filipinos are facing today in the region. – Jaime Laude