Koko Pimentel: Duterte admin must justify martial law extension before joint session of Congress

A request to extend martial law in Mindanao beyond the 60-day period must be justified before Congress in joint session, several senators who earlier backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration said Tuesday.

“The requesting party must justify it well,” Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said in a text message.

Pimentel, one of the authors of a Senate resolution backing martial law in Mindanao, made the remark after the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the constitutionality of Duterte’s Proclamation No. 216.

“Extension is different from declaration because the time frame is different. Declaration may be justified but extension is not. That’s a possibility,” Pimentel said.

Senator Joel Villanueva said the government should first report what it accomplished in the 60-day period, which will lapse on July 23.

“There are several elements that need to be answered before martial law is extended beyond 60 days and the scope of its coverage," Villanueva said.

"We have to ask what it has accomplished relative to the problem of terrorism in Mindanao, what was its impact, was it effective or not, and why is it necessary moving forward and what are the other options if not martial law,” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson pointed out that Congress should convene in joint session if and when the President asks for the extension of martial law.

“Extending the effectivity beyond the constitutionally mandated 60-day period may not be as easy as the proclamation. Congress is mandated to convene to affirm or reject unlike in the case of the original proclamation,” Lacson said.

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, meanwhile, urged the Duterte administration to “consider the wisdom” of the three SC magistrates who believe the coverage of martial rule should be limited to certain areas only.

He was referring to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

Only Associate Justice Marvic Leonen voted for the junking of Proclamation 216, which was challenged for alleged lack of sufficient factual basis, while 11 others voted to dismiss the petitions against martial law.

“Suportado natin ang pasya ng tatlong justices na dapat ilimita lamang ang martial law sa Marawi City,” Pangilinan, president of the former ruling Liberal Party, said.

“We must ensure that the human rights of everyone is protected against abuses and justice will always prevail,” he added. —NB, GMA News