Justices worried Duterte may place entire PH under martial law

MARTIAL LAW ORALS- 1st day of the oral arguments at the Supreme Court against President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.
INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

Supreme Court Justices on Wednesday expressed apprehension on the possibility that martial law could spread to the entire country.

Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo, on day two of the oral argument on anti-martial law petitions, noted the places in Mindanao mentioned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen that remain undisturbed despite the attacks in Marawi.

“Justice Leonen was mentioning several places which to me are peaceful places. Why include all these other provinces to be under martial law also. What we are worried is it might embolden the President to also include Visayas, Luzon and eventually the entire Philippines,” Justice Del Castillo said.

Aside from Del Castillo, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen grilled Solicitor General Jose Calida on the possible scenario assuming members of the Maute group would venture to other parts of the country.

“Yes, they (Maute Group members and supporters) can be arrested. Maute group can come here, they can be arrested but we do not have to declare martial law to arrest them,” Justice Carpio said.

Justice Leonen, on the other hand, asked Calida if he has experts to back up his claim that the Maute Group intends to establish a caliphate in Mindanao.

Calida argued that one of Maute group’s leader, Isnilon Hapilon, has been declared an Emir of ISIS, an international terrorist group.

“Are we taking hook-line and sinker the propaganda that they are saying he is now an Emir,” Justice Leonen asked noting on the possibility that Maute could only be projecting themselves as ISIS to appear more powerful than they really are.

Calida also denied the statement posted on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) website dated May 24 saying that there is no ISIS in the Philippines./ac