The national budget is a viable instrument to achieve national development, not a partisan weapon to suppress dissent and excise approved allocations for infrastructure projects in discriminated constituencies.
The shortsighted vindictiveness of the House leadership failed to consider the adverse economic impact of defunding infrastructure projects in the districts and constituencies of dissenting solons.
The two (2) extensions of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao up to December 31, 2018 have a combined total of 526 days or 876.67% more than the initial period of only 60 days under Proclamation No. 216 which placed Marawi City and the whole of Mindanao under martial law.
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman and his co-petitioners from the “Magnificent 7” minority group stressed in their petition before the Supreme Court that “Five hundred twenty-six (526) days total extension is an enormous increase of 876.67% over the original period of 60 days. This is inordinately long. It is a deplorable defiance of the constitutional limitation of the duration of martial law and its extension.”
The Supreme Court found that the petition filed by Rep. Edcel C. Lagman and the Magnificent 7 opposition group assailing the extension of martial law in Mindanao appears “sufficient in form and substance” and accordingly required the respondents to file their comment.
This augurs well for the petition which has survived the preliminary gauntlet which petitions have to pass through in the High Court.
NOTE: FILED TODAY, 27 DECEMBER 2017, AT 4:05 PM
Download: ML Extension Petition
Rep. Edcel C. Lagman of Albay led the Magnificent 7 opposition group in filing today, December 27, 2017, a petition docketed as G.R. No. 235935 before the Supreme Court assailing the constitutionality of the one-year re-extension of martial law and of the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao effective January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.
The Petitioners also asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a writ of preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the challenged re-extension pending adjudication of their petition.
The other petitioners are Reps. Tomasito S. Villarin, Edgar R. Erice, Teddy Brawner Baguilat, Jr., Gary C. Alejano and Emmanuel A. Billones. Rep. Raul Daza was unable to join the petitioners.
The undue delay in the preparation and enrollment of the joint resolution extending martial law in Mindanao could be deliberate and premeditated.
Why approve with inordinate haste the extension just to foot-drag the preparation for enrollment of the requisite joint resolution?
