“Indeed, there was a precedent in the joint session, that’s why many complained from the Senate and the House of Representatives. Lorenzana maintained that martial law was not meant to quash dissent by ordinary citizens and said “we never commit violence against civilians.”“Civilians who do that, that’s not called rebellion. The rebellion we’re looking for are those who fight the government, bear arms, attack our troops and police…,” he said. Lorenzana also told Anak Mindanao Party-list Rep. Makmod Mending, who asked about human rights abuses, that “reports of thus hurt have not reached me yet.”But, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, of the Makabayan bloc, said the regional human rights coordinator of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao received “14,000 testimonies of human rights violations” amid the fighting in Marawi City. Lorenzana also told Anak Mindanao Party-list Rep. Makmod Mending, who asked about human rights abuses, that “reports of those hurt have not reached me yet.”

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 13, 2017 12:56 UTC