After sacrificing the Constitution to the altar of presidential importuning by extending baselessly martial law at the President’s behest, legislative high priests and their acolytes took a long nap without preparing and enrolling the necessary joint resolution.

The respective secretariats of the House of Representatives and the Senate are in a quandary as to the preparation or whereabouts of the enrolled copy of the joint resolution documenting the approval on December 13, 2017 of the President’s request for a one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Asked for a copy of the joint resolution on December 20, 2017, Secretary General Cesar Pareja texted that his “office is still coordinating with the Senate on the reconciled version of the Resolution.”

On the part of the Senate secretariat, Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo sent on December 21, 2017 the following text message: “The House has not yet transmitted to us. Bills and Index was informed it was being routed for signature by House officials.”

After extending with inordinate haste the duration of martial law in Mindanao effective January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018, the covering joint resolution is nowhere to be found or has not even been prepared or enrolled eight days after the joint session adjourned.

It took the joint session only a few hours to vote for the extension of martial law based on a verbal motion without circulating any copy of a written joint resolution.

It is now taking the House and Senate officials too long to prepare and enroll the requisite joint resolution.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN