A protester show a sign that signifies her opposition to the extension of martial law in Mindanao during a protest action in Manila. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON
All four petitions against the year-long extension of martial law in Mindanao that were聽filed before the Supreme Court (SC) have been consolidated, according to the SC Public聽Information Office (PIO).
In an advisory聽Friday聽evening, the SC PIO said all four petitions would be discussed during聽the oral arguments at the SC鈥檚 en banc session hall on聽January 16, at 2 p.m.聽and聽January聽17, at 10 a.m.
The fourth petition was filed by a group led by former Commission on Elections (Comelec)聽chairman and one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution Christian Monsod.
搁贰础顿:听Christian Monsod-led group files fourth petition vs ML extension
Monsod was joined by Arlene Bag-Ao, Rey Paolo Santiago, Nolasco Ritz Lee Santos III,聽Marie Hazel Lavitoria, Nicolene Arcaina and Jose Ryan Pelongco.
The year-long extension of martial law in Mindanao, which was approved by Congress in a聽joint 240-27 vote last December, had lacked sufficient factual basis as Marawi City was聽already liberated and key leaders of the rebellion were reported dead, according to the petitioners.
The petitioners named Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces chief of staff聽General Rey Guerrero, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez聽as respondents in the petition.
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This argument was also raised in the first three petitions filed with the SC, where it was聽stressed that the government had already declared the termination of fighting in Marawi.
The first petition was filed by the minority bloc from Congress while the second petition was聽filed by human-rights advocates. The third petition was filed by former Commission on Human聽Rights chair Loretta Ann Rosales.
The government, through the Office of the Solicitor General, is expected to submit its聽comment on the consolidated petitions not later than聽5 p.m.聽on Saturday, January 13.
In a text message to聽黑料社聽at around聽3 p.m.聽on Saturday, OSG spokesman Atty. Erik聽Dy said they have yet to file their comment. /jpv