MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered Malacañang and Congress to answer the petition of seven opposition lawmakers challenging the third extension of martial law in Mindanao. In session yesterday, SC justices also decided to set the petition filed last week by the group led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman for oral arguments on Jan. 22 and 23. In their petition, Lagman led the petitioners in urging the SC to declare as unconstitutional the extension of martial law for another year or until Dec. 31, 2019 as well as the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao. The same petitioners earlier filed two petitions questioning the martial law declaration and the succeeding one-year extension, which were both dismissed by the SC in July 2017 and February last year, respectively, for lack of merit. Calling the third extension a “virtual perpetuity,” the period of martial law declaration would now reach a total of 891 days.

Source: Philippine Star January 08, 2019 16:04 UTC