As the year ends, many are looking forward for new things as a new year will start.

 

On such time as this, it gives people a time to reflect how did they spent their year, putting behind the bad things and cherishing the good ones.

 

But not all the time.

 

Not so long ago, 240 members of the lower and upper house have voted to extend the implementation of Martial Law to the Mindanao.

 

Extend for what?

 

One of the reasons that the supporters of Martial Law extension keeps on reiterating for it to be pushed is because of the prevalence of the communist rebels to the southern island.

 

Is that already a compelling reason for the need to extend Martial Law?

 

Mindanao is known as the food basket of the country, where approximately 60% of the nation's resources comes from. It's land is also rich in minerals and precious metals. Most of these lands are part of the ancestral domains of the indigenous people.

 

Martial Law monopolizes power to one person. As only one person holds the executive and legislative powers, abuse of that privilege could be possible that could cause more rampant forced migration of indigenous people from their ancestral lands and could cause more exploitation of lands that will be detrimental to the environment.

 

Martial Law pushes forward the interests of few members that are above the pyramid of social hierarchy. There will be more gap between the elitists, most especially those who are into the mining business and members of the political dynasties, and the mass. Few rich people will get richer, and the poor will get poorer.

 

Martial Law open doors to human rights violations. As the writ of habeas corpus will be suspended, more innocent people will be caught and will be persecuted. Anyone can be accused as the enemy of the state without due process and might suffer unfair treatment to the hands of the government.

 

The upcoming year calls the public to learn and never forget the horrendous past and be more vigilant to spot and resist the culture of impunity, inequality, and inhumanity.