SC extends martial law in Mindanao till end-2019

February 19, 2019

The Supreme Court en banc on Tuesday voted 9-4 to extend martial law in Mindanao for the third time.

Brian Hosaka, chief of the High Tribunal's public information office, said those who voted in favor were Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta,  Mariano Del Castillo, Estela Perlas Bernabe, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, Jose Reyes Jr., Ramon Paul Hernando and Rosmari Carandang

Dissenting were Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Associate Justices   Marvic Leonen, Francis Jardaleza and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

This means martial law in Mindanao will remain until December 31, 2019. 

“The Supreme Court ruled to uphold the constitutionality of the extension of the declaration of martial law and suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao until December 31, 2019,” Hosaka said in a press briefing after the en banc session.

Congress, in a joint session in December, voted 235-28-1 in favor of extending martial law in Mindanao for the third time, until the end of 2019.

But opposition lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman,party-list lawmakers led by Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, a group led by former Comelec chair Christian Monsod, and that of lumads from Mindanao assisted by the Free Legal Assistance Group- went to the High Tribunal to question the decision. DMS