MANILA, Philippines– After the 17th Congress approved the extension of martial law in Mindanao until the end of 2019, netizens were left wondering about the basis and necessity of the move.
In a joint session on Wednesday, December 12, the Senate and the House of Representatives also approved the year-long suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the region, which allows the arrest of persons of interest without a warrant.
This third extension means Mindanao will be under martial law for a total of over two and a half years.
House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya justified the extension as necessary to "enable the AFP, PNP, and all other law enforcement agencies to finally put an end to the rebellion, keep it from escalating to other parts of the country, and prevent a catastrophe similar to what happened in Marawi City.”
Netizens pointed out that while martial law might have contributed to maintaining peace and order in the area especially following the Marawi siege in May 2017, the basis of the extension seemed questionable now, when that there was no clear threat to security.
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Others wondered why people residing outside Mindanao were making a big deal out of the extension when things were business as usual in the region.
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s funny how this people who are not from Mindanao are against the Martial Law while people in Mindanao are enjoying it</p>— ʸᵃⁿ ᶻ (@ryan_c_donato) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_c_donato/status/1072767586754949120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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But there were also Mindanaoans who spoke up about how the martial law extension could possibly affect marginalized communites and those living in remote areas. Some people pointed out that this may possibly lead to greater repercussions when ignored.
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">People out here trying to defend Martial Law in Mindanao because it "does not harm" them. Look how this society has made us into individualistic pigs. Sorry. So you mean to say just as long as you are okay, even if your neighbor's house is already burning, you're fine with it?</p>— Bea Sacdalan (@sacdalanbea) <a href="https://twitter.com/sacdalanbea/status/1072768459920965632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shame on Mindanaoan legislators who fully support the extension of Martial Law in Mindanao! You have blatantly disrespected the rights of the disenfranchised constituents whom you claim to represent.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EndMartialLaw?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EndMartialLaw</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotoMartialLawExtension?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotoMartialLawExtension</a></p>— BRIGHT ACHUETE (@kaisipangabitan) <a href="https://twitter.com/kaisipangabitan/status/1072705886072623105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-cards="hidden" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Okay lang ang Martial Law sa Mindanao? I am from Mindanao. I come from the more-privileged part of the society YET I CAN SEE AND HEAR AND FEEL the pain of the Lumad people being killed one by one every day.</p>— zhy (@zsaramaribianca) <a href="https://twitter.com/zsaramaribianca/status/1072723978563637248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="tl" dir="ltr">"Ano ba ang alam n'yong mga taga-Luzon tungkol sa martial law sa Mindanao?"<br><br>At ano rin ang alam ng mga kongresistang taga-Luzon at Visayas na bumoto ng yes sa martial law sa Mindanao?</p>— Hacksaw Jim Digong || Jay-r Trinidad (@Targrod) <a href="https://twitter.com/Targrod/status/1072764592806219776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Reklamo ka sa martial law sa Mindanao, hindi ka naman taga Mindanao" is so myopic. Should we then prohibit OFWs from commenting about our country's affairs?<br><br>Also, I work in Mindanao.</p>— euvicness (@euvicferrer) <a href="https://twitter.com/euvicferrer/status/1072764683185082369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Here's what other people had to say about the matter:
{source}<a class="twitter-timeline" data-partner="tweetdeck" href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/timelines/1072770721103851520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Martial law extension - Curated tweets by rapplerdotcom</a> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
– Rappler.com