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Thursday, March 28, 2024

DND­: ML not our idea

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DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted that the government could contain the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City even without martial law, and said he did not recommend that President Rodrigo Duterte impose military rule over the entire island of Mindanao, Senator Franklin Drilon said Tuesday.

In a news conference, Drilon said Lorenzana made these admissions on Monday in a closed-door briefing for the senators.

At the briefing, it was Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who asked Lorenzana if government troops could contain the terrorist group even without martial law.

“Yes we can,” was Lorenzana’s reply, Drilon said.

At the same news conference, Trillanes said Lorenzana also told the senators they were not the ones who recommended to Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao in the wake of heavy fighting in Marawi City.

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Senator Risa Hontiveros, on the other hand, said security officials told the senators that they had no choice but to implement martial law because Duterte had already declared it.

Aside from Lorenzana, also present during the security briefing were National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. and AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, said the Senate minority bloc was considering questioning Duterte’s declaration of martial law before the Supreme Court, but nothing was final yet.

“We are open to it but let us see first what will be the results of the debates,” said Pangilinan, referring to plenary debates on the resolution they filed calling for a joint session of Congress to deliberate on Duterte’s martial law declaration.

The minority bloc filed its resolution 10 minutes after the Senate majority filed a separate resolution expressing support for Duterte’s proclamation.

Drilon, a former Justice secretary, said the Supreme Court was bound by the Constitution to rule on a petition questioning martial law in 30 days.

If a joint session is not called, Drilon said, they would have a reason to bring the issue to the Supreme Court.

BRIEFING. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte views the presentation being showed by AFP chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año related to the current developments on the terror crisis in Marawi City during a meeting in Davao City Monday. With them is Special Assistant to the President, Christopher Lawrence Go. Presidential Photo

Trillanes, on the other hand, said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez could be held liable for dereliction of duty before the Office of the Ombudsman. He also said those who openly objected to a joint session can also be slapped with the same offense.

Pimentel and Alvarez have both said there is no need for a joint session of Congress since there is no intention to revoke it.

But Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV urged his colleagues to avoid shortcuts and follow the Constitution by calling a joint session.

He said a joint session would also give security managers a chance to enlighten the public about the situation and address misinformation and fake news circulating online.

“The people are contradicting each other. Agencies are contradicting each other in terms of facts and in terms of what’s really happening. We need to hear it straight from the security managers,” he said.

But Senator Cynthia Villar said there was no need to call a joint session, since a majority of the members of both chambers have no intention of revoking martial law.

The minority bloc, on the other hand, said at least six other senators from the majority bloc—Senators Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito and Loren Legarda—support a joint session.

Recto said the Constitution is clear that Congress must convene in joint session to affirm or reject declaration.

“The voices of the people’s representatives must be heard on such an important issue,” Recto said.

Legarda said a decision to revoke or not to revoke could only be arrived through an exercise where every legislator would express his or her affirmation or dissent.

“Our nation has never before been placed under this situation post-Edsa. The constitutional provisions that were meant to ensure checks and balances among the three branches of government would require no less,” she said. With John Paolo Bencito

Reacting to Lorenzana’s admissions, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said President Duterte might have information that would justify his declaration of martial law that other security officials might not have.

“The President has sources which may not be accessible to all. It’s his call. The Constitution gives the judgment [on martial law to the President], and he decides,” Panelo said.

In his speech at Jolo, the President earlier said that he will ignore Supreme Court and Congress as he enforces martial law across Mindanao, saying that he would only listen to the recommendations of the Armed Forces and the police regarding martial law.

In an earlier interview with reporters upon his arrival from Russia, Lorenzana said that Duterte had thought of declaring martial law as early as November 2017 to combat the Islamic State.

“Actually, the President has been thinking about that for a long time. And we have been discussing it for a long time,” Lorenzana said at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on May 24.

But some members of the Cabinet had advised the President against imposing martial law, Lorenzana said. With John Paolo Bencito

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