Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, the lead petitioner in the petition of the Magnificent 7 assailing the yearlong extension of martial law and suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, told the Supreme Court in a 32-page memorandum filed today that “Proclamation No. 216 on the declaration of martial law and suspension of the writ in Mindanao has become functus officio or its mission has been fully accomplished”.

The opposition lawmaker underscored that the liberation of Marawi City from terrorists and their influence which was declared by President Rodrigo Duterte on October 27, 2017 and the subsequent cessation of combat operations announced by martial law administrator and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rendered Proclamation No. 216 dated May 23, 2017 functus officio.

Consequently, Proclamation No. 216 is no longer subject to further extension because government forces have decisively crushed the Maute-Abu Sayyaf so-called “rebellion”.

What remain are phantom “remnants” of the vanquished terrorist groups, as admitted by President Duterte and his advisers.

Lagman maintained that, “these residues or leftovers have no capacity to continue or resuscitate a crushed rebellion or launch a new one”.

Proclamation No. 216 and the Report of the President to the Congress specifically and solely targeted the Maute-Abu Sayyaf terror groups whose leadership and membership have been decimated up to the last holed-in terrorist.

Actual rebellion does not persist in Mindanao to justify an extension, Lagman added.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN