SC set to hear 4 petitions vs martial law extension

The Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear the four petitions against the full-year extension of martial law.

Oral argument is set for two consecutive days—Jan. 16 and 17.

The first petition was filed by the minority bloc from Congress led by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, while the second petition was filed by the Makabayan bloc as well as human rights advocates and human rights lawyers from the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

Both petitions stated that there is no more need to extend the martial law especially that the government itself declared that the Marawi siege is over.

NUPL and party-list congressmen Carlos Zarate (Bayan Muna), Emmie De Jesus (Gabriela), Arlene Brosas (Gabriela), Ariel Casilao (Anakpawis), Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), and Sarah Elago (Kabataan) said the extension would give way to “alarmingly intensified and increased human rights violations” allegedly aimed at “quelling legitimate redress of grievances against the government.”

Petitioners also held a protest rally outside the Supreme Court.

“If it is up to the AFP, they would place Mindanao and even the whole country under perpetual martial law so that they can operate with impunity. Until now, many of those who wished to speak out against what truly happened in Marawi are still afraid from government retaliation,” Zarate said.

“What is clear though is that the Duterte regime still has not addressed the root cause of Muslim extremism and that the military answer to this problem could never solve it,” he added.

The third petition was filed by former Human Rights Commission chairperson Loretta Ann “Etta” Rosales.

Echoing the arguments of the two other petitioners, Rosales said there was no longer factual basis to extend martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao since President Rodrigo Duterte already declared last October that Marawi City — the center of skirmishes between government troops and ISIS-inspired Maute group — has been liberated.

The fourth petition was filed by a group led by former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod last ‪Friday afternoon. Aside from asking the high court to nullify the martial law extension, they also sought a temporary restraining order against its implementation while the petitions are pending. /je