Martial law isn't about discipline or dictatorship, it's about security.

Merriam webster dictionary -> the law administered by military forces that is invoked by a government in an emergency when the civilian law enforcement agencies are unable to maintain public order and safety

Martial law will give the military more freedom to make sure that security will be upheld in the region. Marawi can be a magnet for foreign islamic terrorists and this must be prevented before the situation becomes dire.

The biggest argument against martial law is that the government will abuse its powers. 261 out of 279 congress members voted to extend martial law, the fact that even the congress, which is made up of members coming from different political parties is enough to reassure that the government will not abuse its powers.

We're not dumbasses, if martial law was such a big threat then it shouldn't be a law in the first place. Even democracy can be a threat if it was corrupted. Capitalism can be a threat if major corporations become greedy.