PRESIDENTIAL Spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court in affirming the extension of the proclamation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao, adding martial law extension there proved the high court’s “confidence” in law enforcement agencies.
In a statement, Roque underscored the unity of the whole government in its bid to defeat terrorism and prevent the spread in other parts of the country by any local or foreign terrorist group.
“The majority of votes is a manifestation of confidence [in] law enforcement agencies that they shall, like they had been doing before, continue to protect our people, secure Mindanao, and pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation while upholding the rule of law, Human Rights, and International Humanitarian Law,” he said.
In a related development:
• Senator Win Gatchalian slammed the opposition for considerng as a “failure of the rule of law” the Supreme Court ruling, which upheld the validity of the extension of martial law.
“How can this be the case when the strict constitutional checks and balances that regulate the power to extend martial law have been observed in good faith?” he asked.
He said the recommendation of the President to extend martial law, the approval of the extension during a joint session of Congress, and the Supreme Court’s review of the extension were all conducted exactly as required by the Constitution.
Voting 10-5 last Feb. 5, the justices dismissed for lack of merit the consolidated petitions of former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod, former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, a group of congressmen led by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman and another group led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao seeking to stop the one-year extension of martial law.
The SC likewise ruled that the factual bases for the martial law declaration remained in Mindanao, citing the facts submitted by the Armed Forces during oral arguments last month.
“The rebellion that spawned the Marawi incident persists. Public safety requires the extension, as shown by facts presented by the AFP,” it explained.
The AFP told the SC that terrorist activities in Mindanao did not end when the government won the war against the Islamic State-linked Maute group in Marawi City in October last year, adding that 48 foreign terrorists had in fact arrived in Mindanao and were actively training recruits.
The remaining members of Maute had intensified their recruitment and their forces again ballooned to almost 400, the AFP said.
At the end of this long deliberative process, Gatchalian said the three branches of government had come to the same conclusion—that the extension of martial law was a just and necessary medicine to cure Mindanao of the violent extremism that has afflicted the island for so long.
“This is precisely the rule of law at work. The political opposition cannot simply proclaim its failure because they disagree with the result,” said Gatchalian.
In the end, he said the political battles that rage in the halls of government and on social media must give way to the life-and-death battles being fought by soldiers and policemen on the front lines of the conflict.
Because of this, he called on all Filipinos, regardless of political affiliation, to unite behind the government’s efforts to defeat the rebellion and eradicate violent extremism.
“Only a united Filipino nation will be able to win the war and achieve lasting peace in Mindanao,” he said.
On the other hand, Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino said he was sad the Supreme Court did not recognize what the people fought for during the bloodless People Power Revolt.
He said fhe high court’s ruling even came out on the month of the Edsa Revolt’s anniversary.
