Pacquiao favors extension: ‘Mas masaya kami sa martial law ng Mindanao’

Senator Manny Pacquiao on Monday said he favors the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to extend martial law in Mindanao by another year.

Pacquiao, a party mate of Duterte under PDP-Laban, said residents of Mindanao feel safer with martial law in place.

“Taga-General Santos ako, wala namang problema. Mas masaya nga kami sa martial law ng Mindanao dahil safe kami, nakakalabas kami, naglalakad kami ng wala kaming bodyguard,” Pacquiao said in an interview.

Pacquiao said a one-year extension of martial law is not too long, adding that there have been no abuse recorded in Mindanao since military rule was imposed in the area as a result of the attack on Marawi City by the Maute terrorist group.

“Hindi naman namin nararamdaman 'yung martial law, as usual pa rin, ganun naman. Walang problema. Wala namang nang-aabuso,” the neophyte senator said.

Duterte wrote a letter to Congress asking it to extend martial law in Mindanao until December 31, 2018. The 1987 Constitution grants Congress the power to determine whether or not there is a need to revoke or extend a martial law declaration of the President.

Last July 22, Congress, in special session, voted to approve Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao until December 31 of this year.

A 60-day martial law was initially declared by Duterte in Mindanao on May 23 following the attack on Marawi City.

Justifying his request, Duterte cited threats from ISIS-inspired groups and “communist terrorists.”

Duterte said martial law administrator and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recommended a one-year extension of martial law to “ensure total eradication of the DAESH-inpsired Da’awatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Masriq, other like-minded local and foreign terror groups and armed lawless groups, the communist terrorists and their coddlers, supporters, and financiers."

A security briefing for senators is scheduled to be held Tuesday morning, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said.  —KBK, GMA News