Palace advises Supreme Court, Congress to “dialogue” with security forces before deciding on martial law

May 29, 2017

Malacanang urged on Monday the Supreme Court and Congress to have a dialogue with the military and the police to get a true picture of what has been happening in Mindanao, particularly in Marawi City. Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella made the statement as he clarified Duterte's statement that the latter has no intention of "bypassing" the two other co-equal branches of government should they decide against the declaration of martial law and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao due to rebellion and violence in Marawi perpetrated by the Islamic State-linked Maute Terror Group. "This is not meant to bypass the Supreme Court or the Legislative. It simply means to say that those who have true and accurate report in which he will depend on will be the military and the Philippine National Police," he said in the first "Mindanao Hour" press briefing in Malacanang. Mindanao Hour is a daily update on what is happening on the ground in Marawi and relevant regions in Mindanao. While traditional and new media continue issuing a flood of information, Mindanao Hour will provide carefully vetted news from authoritative sources, Abella explained. He said the Supreme Court and Congress should be "in dialogue" with the security forces. "They should be in conversation, then they can continue to make decisions and they can continue to make recommendations," he said. Under the Constitution, the Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all members may revoke the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, which revocation shall not be set aside by the President. The Supreme Court may review, in an appropriate proceeding filed by any citizen, the sufficiency of the factual basis of the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or the extension thereof, and must promulgate its decision within thirty days from its filing. Duterte, in a speech on Saturday in a military camp in Jolo, Sulu, said the high court and the Congress could not stop him from enforcing martial rule, which he declared on May 23 for 60 days in Mindanao. He said he would only listen to the advice of the military and the police when to lift martial law. (Celerina Monte/DMS)