Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, Gen. Eduardo Año, on Saturday admitted that he recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the extension of martial law in Mindanao until the end of the year.
Exceutive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who read President Duterte’s request for martial law extension before the lawmakers, said it was the first time the government faced a “newly evolving type of urban warfare”.
Duterte declared martial law on May 23 soon after the predominantly Muslim city of Marawi on Mindanao island was laid siege to mainly by members of the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terror groups, with the ostensible aim of establishing an Islamic State caliphate there.
The Philippine constitution allows for a maximum of 60-days of martial law without Congress’ approval.
The senators allied with President Rodrigo Duterte supported his proposal to extend martial law in the southern Philippines.
But opposition lawmakers dragged out the debate, questioning why martial law was needed for the whole of Mindanao when the fighting was limited to only one city.
Based on the voting, 261 members of Congress voted yes while 18 others voted no.
At the hearing, defence and security officials justified the extended martial law, saying that aside from Marawi, militants were planning attacks in other parts of Mindanao.
Under the Constitution, Congress may extend the proclamation for a determined period if the invasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it.
They said nearly 1,000 pro-ISIL fighters, holding 23 hostages, were still active elsewhere in the south.
“I can’t afford to be complacent”, had declared on Friday to journalists the president Duterte, adding that the military would lead to other operations of “cleaning” even after you have regained Marawi.
“The imposition of martial law will send a strong signal to militants that the government is in control of the situation”.
Leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives held a breakfast meeting earlier to discuss the rules to be adopted for the joint session.
The subject remains sensitive in the Philippines, decades after the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos put the country under military rule for part of his 20-year term.
The motion has proven to be controversial, with protesters disrupting the joint session of Congress with chants of “Never again to martial law”. “He is moving the country toward a complete martial law”, Antonio added.
Parliamentarians of the opposition, in particular question on the necessity of martial law on the entire region of Mindanao, populated by two million inhabitants, while the fighting relate only to the city of Marawi.