IFUGAO lawmaker Teddy Baguilat has challenged fellow legislators in Congress to exercise its constitutional role in reviewing the declaration of martial law in Mindanao issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, May 23.
“We owe it to the people to seriously study the Martial Law declaration lest we become complicit to any possible abuse that this may lead to,” Baguilat said.
Baguilat pleaded to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and House Majority Floor Leader Rudy Fariñas to convene congress in order to review the martial law declaration in the wake of attacks in Marawi City, in Mindanao.
"Congress has a constitutional role to review any declaration of Martial Law, no matter how the administration justifies it," the lawmaker added.
Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states "The Congress, if not in session, shall, within twenty-four hours following such proclamation or suspension, convene in accordance iwth its rules without need of a call."
Fariñas on Thursday said there is no need for Congress to convene as the President can freely declare a 60-day martial law sans the Congress approval.
Meanwhile, the Senate on Monday, May 30, expressed support to the declaration of martial law. Fifteen senators support the declaration saying there is no compelling reason to revoke it.
Unpatriotic
Baguilat said to question a declaration is not tantamount to becoming unpatriotic or blind to the real problems besetting the people of Marawi, but rather the opposite.
“We have our mandate from the people to prevent the dark history of Martial Law in our country from happening over again,” he said.
Baguilat has expressed concern that Duterte is "dangerously close to becoming a dictator and it may just happen without congress doing its constitutional role to check against abuses by any other equal branch."
The solon said earlier the imposition of martial law is an extreme measure which must be treated with caution.
“Some of our countrymen seem to think martial law equates to security. We should remember the primary effect of martial law is the suspension of certain civil rights, which lends itself to abuse,” he said.
“The people need to know what the government intends to do with its extraordinary powers under martial law, how those activities relate to suppressing terrorist activities, and how the rights of innocent civilians will be protected,” Baguilat added.
The lawmaker also expressed alarm of the President's recent pronouncement that he will not listen to any other body except the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the handling of the Marawi crisis, saying that even the Supreme Court should not stop him.
“The President should understand a true democracy can only function if there are adequate checks and balances and that these are respected. They are there for a reason, mainly to avoid any abuse of power by any one branch of government. But at the rate that he is going and based on his own words, he is fashioning himself to become a dictator, with no regard for what the other Constitutional bodies will say,” Baguilat said. (VoxPop Philippines)
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