House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Saturday he is in favor of extending martial law for another five years, or until the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022.
This would enable the administration to stop the conflict in Mindanao, which has been going on for decades.
President Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law on May 23, in response to the attack on Marawi City by members of the Maute group. Under the Constitution, martial law is good until July 22 unless extended.
He should know, the Speaker said, because he is from Mindanao and he is aware that rebellion and armed conflict are not confined to the terrorist activities carried out by the Mautes. There are other groups including the communist rebels.
These are, of course, his personal thoughts, the Speaker qualified.
It’s a good thing military leaders, who in fact do know better, shot down Alvarez’s precipitate—no, foolish—idea. They say five years might be too long.
Members of both Houses of Congress are not, in fact, opposed to the idea of the extension of martial law especially since the terrorists have not yet been defeated, even as we have been promised they would be, by a certain time, several times.
Nobody denies that the problem is has deep roots and needs a good, lasting solution. No less than Mr. Duterte said the situation remains critical in Marawi.
The extension of martial law will need to be backed, however, by hard facts from the battle field and input from those who are living and fighting the war.
Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla added that any proposal on martial law should have an “intelligent basis.”
The opinion of politicians like Alvarez—who obviously wants to get on the good graces of the President—must not count as much as the recommendation of those who do know better.
We can only come up with one explanation why Mr. Alvarez would come up with statements as controversial as this. This is the same person who said “bring it on!” when threatened with an ethics complaint. He has also called appellate court justices idiots for holding a view different from his political interests, and has threatened to abolish the Court of Appeals. He is also notorious for saying he would tear any Supreme Court ruling adverse to martial law—even as Mr. Duterte himself said he would respect any decision from the Court.
Alvarez is trying too hard to paint himself a staunch supporter of the President, when all he needs to do is to think logically and be his own man. He comes off instead as somebody we cannot take seriously.