(UPDATED) - Malacañang on Wednesday, December 13, appealed to the public for support amid the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. reiterated that extending martial law would eradicate the IS-inspired Da’awatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Masriq; other like-minded local or foreign terrorist groups and armed lawless groups; and the communist terrorists; and their coddlers, supporters and financiers.
He added that the martial law would ensure the unhampered rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi and the lives of its residents.
"Public safety is our primordial concern; thus, we ask the public to stand behind the administration and rally behind our defenders to quell the continuing rebellion in Mindanao," Roque said in a statement.
"This is everyone’s shared responsibility. Together, we will prevail," he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte, for his part, expressed his gratitude to Congress for granting his request for extension.
Speaking before the Philippine troops during the ceremonial demilitarization of firearms seized during the five-month long Marawi battle, Duterte admitted that his government would struggle if martial law is not imposed, even after the security forces were able to suppress extremists who wreaked havoc in Marawi City.
"I would like to thank Congress for understanding the plight of the Filipino. Me personally, I am a President. Well, I will just order. But the problem is if there are enough dimensions on the power I have? Not power, but the duty. You know, it would really be difficult for me if there is no martial law in Mindanao," the President said in a speech delivered in Taguig City.
"This martial law, without the martial law powers -- the ancillary powers attached to the implementor, the implementing agency -- it will be difficult for us. How many hours can we detain a person? The longest is 36 hours. You think you can really solve the problem, the crime? They are criminals, they are not imbued with a sense of patriotism," he added.
Congress voted 240-27 in a joint session Wednesday to grant President Duterte's request for an extension of martial law and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao until December 31, 2018.
"We welcome the approval of both houses of Congress to extend the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao beginning January 1, 2018 until December 31, 2018," Roque said.
The military, meanwhile, said the congressional approval of martial law extension in Mindanao was "an acknowledgement of the grounds we have cited that need immediate and decisive actions."
“Specifically, we need to quell the ongoing rebellion in Mindanao and prevent its spread to other parts of the country. The military will faithfully perform its mandate to protect the people and secure the state,” Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in a statement.
Fourteen of the senators voted in favor of martial law extension while four expressed opposition. On the part of the House of Representatives, 226 congressmen voted in the affirmative while 23 voted against.
Duterte first placed Mindanao under martial rule on May 23 following the deadly siege of Islamic State-inspired Maute terrorists in Marawi City. The 60-day martial law was extended by Congress until December 31, 2017 to allow government forces to completely quell rebellion in Mindanao.
Ahead of the expiration of martial law, Duterte asked Congress on December 8 to once again extend martial law for a period of one year to flush out groups that pose threats in Mindanao, as well as to ensure the successful rehabilitation of Marawi City. (Ruth Abbey Gita with VR/SunStar Philippines)