THE House of Representatives will convene into a committee of the whole Wednesday next week to hear from the Palace the justifications for President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao, an official said Thursday.
Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the House, led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, will meet at nine in the morning of May 31 to receive a briefing and ask questions from the members of the Cabinet on Duterte’s declaration.
“I will move on Monday that we constitute ourselves into a committee of the whole and have our meeting at the session hall in an executive session,” Fariñas told reporters as the House was expected to receive Thursday night Duterte’s martial law report.
Duterte announced the declaration of martial law in Mindanao on Tuesday night.
In other developments:
• Senator Francis Pangilinan said Thursday he did not believe that martial law should be declared in the Visayas or Luzon.
He said there might be isolated terrorist acts in these areas but there did not exist a Visayas-wide or a Luzon-wide invasion or rebellion to merit the declaration of martial law there.
“Absent any nationwide rebellion or invasion, we will vigorously oppose a nationwide martial law declaration,” he said.
• Senate leaders believe that Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao will not be revoked as it is only Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who has been opposing it.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said he had not heard any objections to it so far.
“We have to determine the developing consensus, although I haven’t heard of any objection yet,” Pimentel said in a text message.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also said it was “highly unlikely” for Congress to dump the martial law declaration.
“Highly unlikely for Congress to revoke the proclamation. But we are waiting for the President’s report to Congress. The report will be the basis for any action to be taken,” Recto said in a text message.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Congress, which is dominated by Duterte allies, had no intention to reject the martial law declaration.
• Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon objected to the pronouncement of former Supreme Court Justice Vicente Mendoza that the government could not be accused of violating the Bill of Rights during martial law.
He insisted that even under martial law or despite the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, warrantless arrests could not be done except those charged in court with rebellion.
“I hope that Justice Mendoza was just misquoted. I remind him that the Constitution and the rule of law should continue to reign supreme,” Drilon said.
Under the Constitution, the President has 48 hours from the time of the declaration of martial law to submit a report to Congress whether in person or in writing.
Alvarez said there was no need for Congress to immediately conduct a session to discuss Duterte’s proclamation placing the entire island of Mindanao under martial law.
Around 10:26 p.m. Wednesday night, the office of Alvarez received from Malacañang a copy of Duterte’s Proclamation 216 declaring a state of martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao.
Alvarez said the House leadership held a meeting Wednesday in anticipation of the submission of Malacañang’s report on the declaration of martial law.
Fariñas said the senators will be briefed by Cabinet secretaries on Monday based on their agreement with the Senate leadership through Senate Sotto.
He asked Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to lead Cabinet members, particularly the heads of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of National Defense, to come and defend martial law and “answer questions about the report of the President.”
He said the House also intended to invite the secretaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Department of Justice, Department of Tourism, Department of Transportation and Communications and Department of Trade and Industry.