Lagman decries ‘fast-tracked’ approval of 3rd extension of Mindanao martial law

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman on Thursday decried the apparently fast-tracked Congress approval of President Rodrigo Duterte's request to further extend martial law in Mindanao for another year, which lawmakers' right to interpellate.

At a press conference, Lagman pointed out that lawmakers who interpellated the proposal were forced to work under a "restricted" period of three minutes of interpellation each and were only given a minute to explain their vote. Despite these "restrictions," Lagman said the Mindanao martial law still ended up being extended by both houses of Congress on Wednesday.

"While martial law was extended in Mindanao for another year or 8,760 hours, the congressional grant of the President’s initiative for another extension of martial law was consummated in barely four hours, which is 0.1 percent of the total new extended period," he said.

Lagman said lawmakers must be allowed to freely interpellate and debate on crucial issues such as the extension of martial law in Mindanao which he said may embolden the military to commit violations of civil, political, and human rights of the residents there.

"The undue restriction on the right to interpellate and explain one’s vote follows the pattern of limitation designed by the Executive in forwarding the request for extension on the eleventh hour, thus depriving the Congress from fully deliberating on the merits of the requested extension and amply validate its proffered factual basis," he said.

"Premeditated alacrity is anathema to democracy," he added.

A total of 235 lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives voted for another extension of the Mindanao martial law, which the President said will enable the police, military, and other law enforcement agencies to finally put an end to the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao and prevent it from escalating in other parts of the country.

Twenty-eight lawmakers voted against it, while one abstained.

Duterte placed the entire island of Mindanao under martial law on May 23 last year after the ISIS-inspired Maute group attacked and destroyed Marawi City.

Initially valid for only 60 days, Congress, upon the request of Duterte, has earlier approved the extension of martial law in the region twice, and is expected to end on December 31 this year. — MDM, GMA News