Lagman: Delay in martial law reso to preempt SC challenge

The delay in the processing of the joint resolution of Congress extending martial law in Mindanao by one year could be “deliberate and premeditated” to foil plans to challenge its constitutionality, a House opposition leader said on Saturday.

A day after calling attention to the delayed preparation and enrollment of the congressional document, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said there could be more to the issue, considering a number of dissenters were planning to question the martial law extension before the Supreme Court.

“The patent design is to deprive challengers of the extension from attaching in their petitions before the Supreme Court the required certified true copy of the enrolled joint resolution,” he said in a statement.

“As the delay progresses, aggravated by the ensuing holidays, the effectivity of the extension on Jan. 1 will soon set in,” he added.

“Once the extension becomes effective, any petition or prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction may be mooted,” said Lagman, a leader of the Magnificent Seven bloc.