House committee holds executive session for martial law report

Philippine Congress. FILE PHOTO

The House of Representatives went on executive session on Wednesday after it constituted itself into Committee of the Whole to tackle President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law report.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea moved for the holding of an executive session to discuss matters of national security, barely an hour after the lower House started its Committee of the Whole hearing held at the plenary hall.

This development came after Medialdea only read highlights of the President’s martial law report.

House Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas, acting as committee chairperson, put the motion to a voice vote.

The lower House approved the motion with a resounding “yes.”

The people, including the media, were thus escorted out of the plenary hall based on the nature of conducting executive session.

Fariñas said the lower House met as a whole committee to fulfill its constitutional mandate to listen to the President, not the other way around.

This was the justification of the House leadership in refusing to hold a joint session as provided for in the Constitution if it wants to revoke the proclamation. The House leaders said there is no need to convene if the majority does not want to hold a joint session anyway.

“The proceeding that we are doing today is hearing the report of the President, because it is our constitutional duty to hear the report of the President on the proclamation… Indeed as pointed out put by the Speaker, it’s not the duty of the President to hear us when it comes to martial law. It is our duty to hear him about his report,” Fariñas said.

Fariñas said Congress would only convene if it votes to revoke the martial law declaration.

“Once we hear his report, and this Congress… jointly says we revoke the proclamation, it shall be the duty of the President to obey Congress,” Fariñas said.

Fariñas said President Duterte has a point in saying he doesn’t need to listen to Congress.

Duterte earlier said he would not listen to Congress or the Supreme Court, even though these were the checks and balances on the martial law declaration in the 1987 Constitution.

READ: Duterte vows to ignore Supreme Court on martial law

“Tama si Presidente (the president is right). It’s not his duty to listen to the legislative,” Fariñas said.

The committee hearing started after quorum was declared with 135 of the 292 members responding to roll call.

Aside from Medialdea, the other members of the Cabinet present were Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, national security adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, court administrator Midas Marquez, among others.

Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Eduardo Año sent representatives to the committee because they are in Marawi city for the operations.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is on his way to the committee hearing from Mindanao, Fariñas said.

In delivering the opening remarks, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez urged his colleagues to view Duterte’s martial law declaration away from the country’s past experiences during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, who cemented his one-man rule through martial law.

“While we understand the reservations of some with martial law, let us view the situation not exclusively from the perspective of the past. Our present Constitution provides sufficient safeguards to prevent abuses by agents of the State,” Alvarez said.

“Moreover, we give the public our assurance that we are keeping a watchful eye upon the unfolding of events and will step in as a counter-balance should and when the need arises,” he added.

The lower House constituted itself into a Committee of the Whole House after Duterte’s martial law report was referred to the committee on rules during Monday’s session.

LOOK: Duterte’s martial law report to Congress

According to Section 137, Rule XVIII of the Rules of the House, the lower House may constitute itself into a Committee of the Whole House upon the motion of the Majority Leader to act upon a bill or resolution.

Fariñas was appointed by Alvarez as chairperson to preside over the proceedings.

According to the Rules, the Committee of the Whole shall function as one committee acting upon a bill or resolution, and conducts its proceedings like a regular committee with its membership composed of all the Members of the House.

Fariñas said the Committee of the Whole could decide whether or not to hold an executive session depending on the sensitive issues to be discussed.

The lower House convened itself as a whole committee since Congress appeared not keen on holding a joint session to hold a vote on the President’s martial law declaration.

At least 15 senators also said there was no compelling reason to revoke martial law in Mindanao.

READ: 15 senators: ‘No compelling reason’ to revoke martial law declaration in Mindanao

According to the 1987 Constitution, Congress may vote jointly to revoke the declaration of martial law in a majority vote. The President is required to submit to Congress within 48 hours a report on the martial law declaration.

Alvarez and Fariñas earlier said there is no need for Congress to convene if it has no intention of revoking the martial law declaration in Mindanao.

READ: No need for Congress to convene on martial law report – Fariñas

Duterte declared martial law and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao following the attack of the Maute group in Marawi city, where buildings were burnt, people hostaged, and flags of the Islamic State (ISIS) hoisted in the siege carried out by the ISIS-inspired terror group. JPV