Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman decried the “mounting deaths and destruction in Marawi City,” which he said are the result of President Duterte’s declaration of martial law and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

“Thirty days of martial law in Marawi City and the rest of Mindanao have aggravated the situation in Marawi City to inordinately horrific and miserable proportions,” Lagman said. 

“All of this horror and misery after the declaration of martial law could have been avoided if the President did not precipitately and unwarrantedly declare martial law and the suspend the writ which gave the armed forces and police authorities the unnecessary impetus to implement military rule with disastrous consequences,” he said.

Lagman said the rising number of casualties, extensive damage to private properties and displacement of civilians “were the results of the excessive military offensive through airstrikes and land assaults.”