Palace ready to give info on martial law to SC

Malacañang is ready to provide the Supreme Court the information it needs to understand President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Saturday.

Abella reiterated the chief executive’s vow to abide by the tribunal’s ruling as the high court scheduled oral arguments on the three petitions against the declaration.

“We stand ready to provide information to the High Court—as we did for Congress—on the factual basis for martial law and writ suspension,” Abella said.

Abella said the information will help the court appreciate the necessity of martial law “to combat and neutralize the threat to public safety and national security posed by terrorists.”

The terrorists, he said, are “seeking to supplant government authority in Marawi at the instigation and with support from a brutal foreign entity, the [IS].”

As of Friday, there are three petitions questioning the validity of the declaration and the SC has ordered their consolidation into one case.

The first petition was filed by independent congressmen, led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

The second was filed by a group of women from Marawi City represented by the Alternative Law Groups Inc. led by former elections commissioner Christian Monsod.

The third group is represented by the National Union of People’s Lawyers.

“It is necessary and proper, without giving due course to the petition, to consolidate [these cases] with G.R. No. 231658 [the petition filed by Lagman’s group],” the SC said in an order dated June 10.

The high court also directed the petitioners and the Solicitor General to attend the preliminary conference on June 12 at 2 p.m., ahead of the oral arguments on June 13, 14 and 15.

Consolidated comment

Solicitor General Jose Calida was also ordered to file a consolidated comment not later than noon of June 12.

The three petitions assail Mr. Duterte’s Proclamation No. 216, which imposed military rule and suspended the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao following the Marawi City siege.

While Abella reiterated the Duterte administration will comply with the court’s ruling, he declined to comment on Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’ declaration that he will defy judicial interference on congressional prerogatives.

“We defer to the other co-equal branches of government involved in the petition. We will reserve comment on this matter, except to repeat the President’s statement yesterday that he will follow the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abella called on people to shun “petty politics” and not to use the situation for their personal ends, in order not to foster division.

He said there is now a need for unity to ensure a brighter future for the country as the economy continues to boom despite the turmoil in certain areas.

“Let us be united. It should be the time to set aside petty politics and personal agenda,” he said.

Abella made the statement days after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre drew flak for trying to implicate members of the political opposition in the Marawi siege.