Cotabateños, Maguindanaons Hail Martial Law Extension

Led by Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, Cotabateños have expressed joy over the approval by both houses of Congress of the extension of martial law in Mindanao for another year.

In a joint session Wednesday, both the Senate and the House of Representatives (HoR) voted – 235-28-1 – in favor of the extension of martial law in Mindanao from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019.

“It’s a go for me from the start,” Sayadi said in a message relayed by the mayor to City Information Officer Halima Satol-Ibrahim for the Philippine News Agency.

Since the five-month siege by terror groups in Marawi City last year, the mayor has stuck with the implementation of curfew hours for city residents following President Rodrigo Duterte’s imposition of martial law on May 23, 2017.

Sayadi said the declaration of martial law has done well for the city as its crime rate dropped by over 50 percent, with the aid of the city government-led ‘Ronda’ nightly patrol.

“We were the first city to support the extension of martial law for another more year. As early as September, we have expressed that. So we are really happy with the latest decision made by the Senate and the HoR,” she said.

Jocelyn Pacaco, 53, a barbeque vendor said she feels safe going home at night since the 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. citywide curfew has been imposed last year.

“No more fear whatsoever,” Pacaco said in a vernacular.

“Thank you Mr. President, and thank you Congress for the martial law extension,” Tato Salik, a private school teacher holding night classes, said.

Salik, who had been robbed twice in the past prior to martial law imposition, said he is delighted to see that even village officials do their part to secure their community in Barangay Rosary Heights 13 here.

“They are now always on the lookout for our safety,” he said.

In Maguindanao, its governor and 36 municipal mayors were also elated that Congress allowed the extension of martial law.

“The measure helped much in the speedy resolution of bloody clan wars in Maguindanao and put the world of the Islamic State-linked group smaller,” Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu said in a statement.

“It made our atmosphere peaceful and instilled discipline on our constituents,” he said referring to Maguindanao, one of the five-province component of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Earlier, members of the Lamitan City council in Basilan also expressed approval of the martial law extension.

“Why lift it (martial law) if it does good to us,” Lamitan Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay, concurrent city council presiding officer, said in a separate statement.

The vice mayor’s wife, incumbent Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay, has also backed the extension of martial law in Mindanao. (PNA)