SC orders Senate, House to comment on petitions seeking joint session on martial law

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to comment on two petitions calling on the justices to direct Congress to convene in joint session to tackle the martial law declaration in Mindanao.

SC spokesperson Theodore Te told reporters about the high court's move at the close of the oral arguments on the consolidated petitions questioning the factual basis for Proclamation 216 on Thursday.

Te said the respondents have 10 days from receipt of the Court's resolution to file comment to the two petitions, which have been ordered consolidated.

One of the petitions for an SC directive for a joint session comes from a group that includes Senator Leila De Lima; former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. president Alexander Padilla; and other former government officials. The other is from Catholic Church officials led by Manila auxiliary bishop Broderick Pabillo; former Sen. Wigberto “Bobby” Tañada; and student groups.

Both petitions said a joint session of Congress to review a declaration of martial law by the President is mandatory under the 1987 Constitution.

They also said that failure to convene a joint session deprives lawmakers the chance to scrutinize the declaration and the public of transparent proceedings within which to be informed of the factual bases of Duterte's action.

The Senate and House of Representatives, in separate actions, had already ruled against holding a joint session after getting briefings regarding the ongoing offensive against ISIS-inspired Maute group in Marawi City from military and defense officials.

Justifying the arrangement, Pimentel and Alvarez said Congress will only convene in joint session if it plans to revoke or extend the martial law declaration.

Article VII, Section 18 of the Constitution states Congress may revoke the proclamation “voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all its members in regular or special session.”

President Rodrigo Duterte imposed a 60-day martial rule in Mindanao following deadly clashes in Marawi City involving militants led by the Maute group whom he said were trying to establish a caliphate for international terror group ISIS. —NB/BM, GMA News