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[av_heading heading=’SolGen tells Supreme Court: Junk petitions vs martial law’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Tuesday, June 13, 2017
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MANILA – The Office of the Solicitor General urged the Supreme Court on Monday to dismiss the petitions filed against the proclamation of martial law in Mindanao.
President Rodrigo Duterte had sufficient factual basis for proclaiming martial law after the attacks of the Maute group in Marawi City, stated part of the comment filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
“The facts relied on by President Duterte for the issuance of Proclamation No. 216 sufficiently establishes the existence of a rebellion in Mindanao,” part of the comment read.
“ISIS-inspired local rebel groups have taken arms against the Philippine government for the purposes of removing Mindanao from its allegiance and depriving the chief executive of his powers and prerogatives,” it added.
ISIS is another acronym for the terrorist organization Islamic State, to which the Maute group has pledged allegiance.
The Supreme Court consolidated three petitions — including one filed on June 5 by opposition lawmakers Edcel Lagman, Tomasito Villarin, Gary Alejano, Emmanuel Billones, Teddy Baguilat Jr., and Edgar Erice — and scheduled oral arguments starting today until the 15th.
Two more petitions against Proclamation No. 216 were filed at the high tribunal on Friday.
One, filed by militant groups and human rights advocates under Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, asked the Supreme Court to declare the proclamation “unconstitutional and therefore void and without effect,” the BusinessWorld reported. Another was filed by four women residents of Marawi City shortly before the Supreme Court closed on June 9.
The Supreme Court deemed these two petitions “sufficient in form and substance,” the BusinessWorld said.
A common argument among the petitions was Duterte had no factual basis for the proclamation since there was no rebellion or invasion and the Armed Forces of the Philippines did not recommend it.
According to Calida, the petitioners “failed to allege and establish grave abuse of discretion” on the part of Duterte in proclaiming martial law and suspending the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.
The President proclaimed the martial law in the southern major island on May 23 while in a state visit in Moscow, Russia after a clash between government troops and the Maute group in Marawi City./PN
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