Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. INQUIRER FILE / ARNOLD ALMACEN
He did not sign a resolution supporting the martial law declaration in Mindanao but Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he would vote against its revocation.
Escudero said he was not aware that there was Senate Resolution No. 388 signed by 15 senators expressing support for Proclamation No. 216 ‘Declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao’ and finding no cause to revoke the same.”
READ: Martial law declaration in Mindanao gets support of 15 senators
“Nobody showed me a copy of the resolution,” he said in a text message to reporters.
“Anyway, for me such a resolution is superfluous because the Constitution does not require it. The issue is not whether or not Congress will confirm martial law but whether or not Congress will revoke it.”
“I would have voted against revocation at this time in a joint session once a member of Congress files a motion to so revoke,” Escudero said.
“The effect may be the same but the process is equally important, if not more important in order to establish the correct precedents,” the senator added.
Escudero and Senator Grace Poe were the only two members of the Senate majority bloc who did not sign the resolution.
Fifteen of 23 senators signed the resolution and they were Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor”JV” Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Gringo Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Joel Villanueva , Cynthia Villar and Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Meanwhile, all six members of the Senate minority group — Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Leila de Lima, who has been detained at Camp Crame in Quezon City over drug charges – have filed a separate resolution calling for a joint session of Congress to deliberate on President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao. CBB/rga