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[av_heading heading=’Stop 1-year martial law extension, SC urged ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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MANILA – Opposition congressmen led by Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay) urged the Supreme Court to block the one-year extension of the martial law in Mindanao.
They questioned the constitutionality of the second extension of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in the southern major region.
“Threats of violence and terrorism by remnants of vanquished terrorist groups do not constitute a constitutional basis for extension of martial law because ‘imminent danger’ has been deleted as a ground for imposing martial law,” they said in a petition filed Wednesday afternoon.
“Prolonging martial law by one year defies the unequivocal intent and mandate of the Constitution of having a limited duration of martial law and its extension,” the petition read. “Also, the Constitution does not allow a series of extensions or re-extensions of a martial law.”
The petitioners also asked the high court to give judicial notice to the joint approval of Congress of the extension since the latter has yet to make public a copy of the joint resolution.
President Rodrigo Duterte proclaimed martial law in Mindanao on May 23 amid the war against Islamic State-allied extremists in Marawi City.
Duterte requested for an extension twice – first, until Dec. 31, 2018 and second, until Dec. 31, 2018 – upon recommendations from the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police, and Congress approved these.
The President cited what he said was the ongoing terrorist threat in Marawi, the terror groups’ attempts to increase their numbers and plan other attacks, and the threat of communist rebels.
The war ended in October after Maute group and Abu Sayyaf group leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon were killed and Duterte declared that Marawi has been liberated from terrorism.
Aside from Lagman, other petitioners were Tom Villarin (Akbayan), Edgar Erice (Caloocan), Teddy Baguilat Jr. (Ifugao), Rodolfo Alejano (Magdalo), Emmanuel A. Billones (Capiz, 1st District), and Raul Daza (Samar).
Respondents to the petition were Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, Budget secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, and Armed Forces chief of staff Rey Guerrero./PN
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