A staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday welcomed the plan of minority lawmakers to question before the Supreme Court the decision of the Congress to extend martial law in Mindanao.
“Well, I guess, expected natin na gawin nila yan (we expect them to do that). I guess, ginagampanan nila ang kanilang tungkulin, ang role nila (they’re doing their job, their role) as independent bloc,” Davao City First District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles said in an interview with DZBB.
Lawmakers from the Makabayan Bloc and the minority group, Magnificent 7, has announced their plans to question the legality of the extension before the High Court, similar to what they did in President Rodrigo Duterte’s initial declaration in May.
“So hindi naman ito sorpresa para sa atin na ngayong nai-extend ang martial law ay magpepetisyon at kukwestyunin nila ito sa Korte Suprema (So it is not surprising for us that now martial law was extended, they’re going to question it before the Supreme Court),” Nograles added.
Despite the minority lawmakers’ argument against the martial law, Nograles is confident that the high court will rule in favor of the extension.
He said that unlike what the opposition tries to argue, what is happening in Marawi City is not just “lawless violence” but also an act of “rebellion” as one of the Maute Group’s goals is to establish a separate state in Mindanao.
“D’on pa lang medyo alanganin na ang kanilang first argument (that argument is already irresolute),” the lawmaker said.
In a joint session on Saturday, the Congress approved with 261-18 votes Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao until December 31.