IN A vote of 261-18, Congress through a special session on July 22, extended martial law in Mindanao until December 31 2017—a move applauded by many and lamented by some.
As I listened to the arguments during the Joint Congress and Senate Session, one lady who was against to the extension spoke and reminded me of my study of philosophy. Her arguments were framed as an appeal to pity (also called argumentum ad misericordiam, the sob story, or the Galileo argument).
This is a form of fallacy that attempts to distract from the truth of the conclusion by the use of pity. It is also a manner in which someone tries to win support for an argument or idea by exploiting his or her opponent’s feelings of pity or guilt.
However, it is hard for us to buy her statement. Many of us understand the complexities of the Marawi situation and its connection to a bigger problem that our government is trying very hard to stop. who are we to say that we represent the people, the alleged victims of human rights violation, and the oppressed? We can only represent ourselves and our family.
The problem with the critiques of Martial Law is their denial of the real problems on the ground. A problem that must be viewed critically to understand its eventual implications and the threat it poses to our national security and to many of our people.
The Maute Group problem only proves the existence of radicalized extremists groups in the country. The socio-political problems experienced in most parts of Mindanao make it a fertile ground for violent extremists to rise and attack our communities, cities, and nation.
This, in a broader view, is what Martial law is countering. To stop these acts of lawlessness before they spread like wildfire in other areas and victimize more people. To stop terrorism on its tracks.
The Maute terror group carries a message of intolerance — religious, cultural, social, is similar to the views of Abu Sayaf, Boko Haram and Al Qaeda. Their main goal is to hold a territory and. it is clear that they seek to challenge our shared values of peace, justice and human dignity.
The rise of the groups like Maute can never be justified but we must also acknowledge that it did not arise in a vacuum. The Bangsamoro narratives of grievances (actual or perceived injustice) and prolonged peace process have led our youth to desire change even though their means led to human rights violations, killing of innocent civilians (beheading or bombings), and violent extremism.
For over four decades, our government aimed to address Moro and communist rebellion. However, with the emergence of a new generation of groups, our criminal laws, Human Security Act, and other pertinent laws have not been sufficient to prevent the spread of violent extremism.
The situation in Marawi and some provinces in Mindanao reflects the item 27 of the United Nations Secretary General Report on the Prevention of Violent Extremism that says, “Violent extremism tends to thrive in an environment characterized by poor governance, democracy deficits, corruption and a culture of impunity for unlawful behaviour engaged in by the State or its agents. When poor governance is combined with repressive policies and practices which violate human rights and the rule of law, the potency of the lure of violent extremism tends to be heightened.”
Moreover, item 30 of the same report provides, “Prolonged and unresolved conflicts tend to provide fertile ground for violent extremism, not only because of the suffering and lack of governance resulting from the conflict itself but also because such conflicts allow violent extremist groups to exploit deep-rooted grievances in order to garner support and seize territory and resources and control populations.”
It continues: “Urgent measures must be taken to resolve protracted conflicts. Resolving these conflicts will undermine the impact of the insidious narratives of violent extremist groups. When prevention fails, our best strategy towards securing lasting peace and addressing violent extremism entails inclusive political solutions and accountability.”
Item 27 and 30 describes the situation in Mindanao. These are the facts why we need to extend and implement Martial Law in Mindanao.
Lastly, we have to bear in mind that those who oppose the Martial Law feeds to the narratives of the violent extremists. These narratives carries carry with it negative personal experience which resonates with the grievances of violent extremist. These grievances feed the ideologies that can heighten the chances that many individual will embrace violent extremism. The challenge is how we dialogue with them and for them to trust our government.
Within this period of Martial Law, let us help our government enact the Bangsamoro Basic Law 2017. Let us all work together in helping our security sector to run after the narco-politicians and warlords that menace our society. Let us implement a comprehensive of programs preventing and countering violent extremism. Let us work together in helping our AFP to ensure that their there will be no human rights violation. Let us demand our LGUs to work in their offices and serve their people. Remember that we can do a lot of things in helping our government.