Senator Bam Aquino voted to reject the government’s call to extend Martial Law in Mindanao because of the absence of actual rebellion now that firefighting in Marawi City has ceased.
Sen. Bam mentioned that in the deliberations of the 1987 Constitution, the framers used the word actual instead of imminent so as not to create confusion and not to give the President a wide latitude of discretion which may be abused.
Also, Sen. Bam believes that the one-year extension is too long, which could abrogate the Congress’ duty on check and balances, which is provided by the Constitution among the branches of government.
“One year seems unreasonable. It is akin to being indefinite as there are no clear milestones to reach and no distinct reasons for needing an entire year,” said Sen. Bam.
“The period of the original declaration is 60 days. Any extension should be reckoned in this light, so 1 whole year really seems grossly unreasonable,” said Sen. Bam.
Sen. Bam stressed that Martial Law is an extraordinary measure and that the military should not need Martial Law in order to function well and keep Mindanao secure.
“The reasons given by the Executive are persistent all over the country, not just in Mindanao. The logic used in the request for extension can easily be used to declare nationwide Martial Law,” warned Sen. Bam.
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