“Martial law” was also extended to the Joint Session of the Congress when the freedom of expression of Senators and Representatives was restricted to three minutes for interpellation and one minute for the explanation of their respective votes.

While martial law was extended in Mindanao for another year or 8,760 hours, the congressional grant of the President’s initiative for another extension of martial law was consummated in barely four hours, which is 0.1% of the total new extended period.

The Congress as a deliberative assembly must allow the free rein of interpellation and debate on crucial issues like a third extension of martial law in Mindanao which may embolden anew the military to violate civil, political and human rights even as the citizens are cowed from expressing dissent.

The undue restriction on the right to interpellate and explain one’s vote follows the pattern of limitation designed by the Executive in forwarding the request for extension on the eleventh hour, thus depriving the Congress from fully deliberating on the merits of the requested extension and amply validate its proffered factual basis.

Premeditated alacrity is anathema to democracy.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN