Congress approved on Saturday the extension of martial law and the suspension of writ of hebeas corpus in Mindanao until the end of this year.

A total of 261 lawmakers voted for the extension while 18 opposed.

During the joint session at the House of Representative in Quezon City, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III announced that 16 out of the 20 senators. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said  245 out of the 259 congressmen voted for the extension.

Among those who opposed the extension include Senator Franklin Drilon, Senator Francis Pangilinan, Senator Bam Aquino and Senator Riza Hontiveros.

In his speech Drilon explained why he voted against the five months extension of martial law.

"I voted no, for the extension of martial law in the whole of Mindanao, an extension that will last until December 31, 2017.

(It) does not meet the requirement of the Constitution. The mandate of the Constitution is clear. Martial law will only be declared only if actual rebellion exist and congress may extend the declaration if that rebellion persist," Drilon said.

"If this Congress gives full and unqualified assent for the continued martial law in the entire Mindanao, where there is no evidence of actual rebellion outside or Marwi City, then we might have just been reduced to a mere echo chamber. We would then have abdicated our duty under the Constitution to allow Martial Law only in cases of actual rebellion  and when public safety requires it," he noted.

"If we shirk from our role as the supreme policy-making body and allow, without any basis, the extension of martial law in the entire Mindanao, tomorrow we will wake up with martial law being declared in the entire country, under the justification of an existing rebellion in Marawi City and the threat, however remote, of rebellious activity spilling over other parts of the country," he added.

During the session, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General. Eduardo Ano admitted he recommended the five months extension of martial law in Mindanao.

"We recommended, sir, up to 31 December of 2017 because as I’ve said, we wanted to finish all these Daesh-inspired groups so that there will be no repeat of the Marawi attack in the future,” he said.

Ano also noted the military may recommend lifting martial law in Mindanao before the end of this year if the Armed Forces were able to normalized the situation in Southern Philippines in shorter time.

"Our request for the extension of up to Decemebr 31, to give us ample time but if we were able to finish this in much shorter time, we will do the initiatives to recommend the normalcy and lift the martial law, you can count on us," he said. Robina Asido/DMS