Rody’s extended martial law to be challenged at SC

MANILA, Philippines — Opposition congressmen vowed yesterday to question before the Supreme Court the Duterte administration’s Congress-approved extension of martial law in Mindanao by one year.

“Definitely, we will be filing a petition with the high court next week,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman told a news conference yesterday.

“This time, we hope the Supreme Court will see that there is no factual and constitutional basis for martial law, since there is no actual rebellion or invasion,” he said.

In joint session last Wednesday, legislators voted 240-27 to allow President Duterte to extend martial law in Mindanao by a year after it lapses on Dec. 31.

The Albay lawmaker said the grounds cited by President Duterte in asking Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao up to the end of 2018 “are mere threats that he and state forces can deal with without martial rule.”

“Imminent danger of rebellion or invasion is no longer a ground for the declaration or extension of martial law,” he said.

Administration officials asserted on Wednesday that a “state of rebellion” still exists in Mindanao, though they admitted that the situation in Marawi has “substantially changed” and there has been no armed conflict since the President declared in October that the city has been “liberated from terrorist influence.”

Lagman said his six colleagues in the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives would join him in filing the petition. The six are Teodoro Baguilat Jr. of Ifugao, Edgar Erice of Caloocan City, Raul Daza of Northern Samar, Tom Villarin of Akbayan, Gary Alejano of Magdalo, and Emmanuel Billones of Capiz.

Lagman said they would invite other members of the House of Representatives who voted against the extension of martial law to join them. They include Jose Christopher Belmonte of Quezon City and Kaka Bag-ao of Dinagat Islands.

Alejano, a former Marine captain, said he hoped that soldiers would “do their job professionally” during the one-year period of extension.

He said he believed that the President and the military could address terrorist threats without martial rule.

“I was assigned in Mindanao before, and we addressed similar threats without the President declaring martial law,” he said.

Erice called on the public to be vigilant against the possibility of martial rule spreading to Luzon and Visayas.

He said Duterte has set his sights on “being a dictator, since he himself has declared that he can’t govern in a democracy.”

Solicitor General Jose Calida said he could only say “good luck” to those planning to oppose the martial law extension.  - Evelyn Macairan