A party-list lawmaker on Saturday urged Congress to expand martial law nationwide as the legislature voted to extend President Rodrigo Duterte’s 60-day martial rule in Mindanao until the end of the year.
Kusug Tausug Party-list Rep. Shernee Abubakar Tan made the call as she voted yes to extending martial law until Dec. 31.
“Kusug Tausug Party-list suggests that this august body extend martial law not just in Mindanao but all throughout the entire country,” Tan said, beaming as she cast her vote.
Rep. Shernee Tan of Kusug Tausug Partylist voted yes and wants martial law declared in the whole country #MLExtension #ANCRecap pic.twitter.com/T3cgN8SHKp
— ABS-CBN News Channel (@ANCALERTS) July 22, 2017
Tan’s remark earned both laughter and applause from the legislative body that convened jointly to vote on Duterte’s request to extend his martial law declaration and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for 150 more days.
The ‘yes’ vote won in Saturday’s voting, with 261 lawmakers in favor and 18 against.
Earlier in the session, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the martial law administrator, said there was no need to expand martial law in Luzon and Visayas.
“Hindi po mangyayari ‘yan (That’s not going to happen),” Lorenzana told lawmakers.
Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law on May 23 after the ISIS-linked Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups laid siege on Marawi City in a bid to establish an ISIS province in the Philippines.
Under the Constitution, the President may declare martial law for a a period not exceeding 60 days in case of “invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.”
The Constitution, however, allows Congress to extend the period on the President’s request.
Story: ABS-CBN News
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