Marawi residents urge SC to invalidate martial law in Mindanao
Four residents of Marawi City—the center of skirmishes between government troops and local terror group Maute—asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday to invalidate President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
Represented by constitutionalist and lawyer Christian Monsod, petitioners Norkaya Mohamad, Sittie Nur Dyhanna Mohamad, Noraisah Sani and Zahria Muti-Mapandi said since they become weary and are facing the "uncertainty of not being able to return to the place they considered home."
"They come to this Court as ordinary citizens, emboldened by the 1987 Constitution's direct recognition of their capacity to come forward and challenge the extraordinary powers of the most powerful official of the land," the petition said.
"They humbly ask the [Supreme Court] to perform its mandate and inquire into the sufficiency of the factual basis of the declaration of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus," it added.
The petitioners said the incidents in Marawi "do not equate to the existence of a public necessity" brought about by an actual rebellion, which would compel the imposition of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus so the government can carry out warrantless arrests of rebels or their sympathizers.
"Succinctly, there is no sufficient factual basis for the imposition of martial law or the suspension of the privilege," the petition read.
Duterte imposed a 60-day martial rule in Mindanao following deadly clashes in Marawi involving militants led by the Maute group whom he said were trying to establish a caliphate for international terror group ISIS.
But the petitioners said such conclusion is "another big leap unsupported by evidence that the exercise of the powers are needed as the government's last resort."
This is the third petition filed challenging the factual basis for the martial law proclamation.
The other two petitions were filed by five opposition congressmen led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and the group of activists and leftist lawmakers including ACT Teachers' party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.
Two other petitions call on the SC to compel Congress to convene in joint session to scrutinize the martial law declaration. —NB, GMA News