Drilon: 5-month extension of martial law no factual basis

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Saturday questioned the proposed extension of martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year, noting that the request has no factual basis.

At the special joint session of Congress, he said that nearly 400 of the 600 members of the ISIS-influenced rebel groups in Mindanao have already been neutralized in only two months under martial law.

Drilon cited President Rodrigo Duterte's report attached to his letter requesting Congress to extend martial law as saying, "from May 23 to July 10, or less than two months into the declaration, the armed forces has already neutralized 379 out of 600 members of rebel groups."

"The question is if we have neutralized 379 Maute or their sympathizers in less than two months, why do we need six more months, considering the time it took to neutralize more than half of the rebels, to defeat the remaining rebels?"

In response, Medialdea said the warfare being engaged by the rebel groups is known as an "urban warfare."

"It's not an easy task running against these rebels," he said, adding that six months was the recommendation of the military.

"I think it will be better to ask for a longer period than a certain period," he added.

Drilon likewise stressed that out of the 16 barangays in Marawi City, only four remain under control by the rebel groups.

"The factual basis for request to extend until December 31 is not supported by the number of barangays cleared," the senator said, adding that rebellion does not exist in 17 provinces in Mindanao.

But Medialdea said there are still 1,200 manpower of the rebel groups in Mindanao.

"We cannot foresee the location where they are going," he added.

The legislators have until 10 p.m. on Saturday to finalize their decision before the proclamation formally ends. —LBG, GMA News