Press Release
May 25, 2017

STATEMENT OF SEN. FRANCIS PANGILINAN CALLING ON CONGRESS TO CONVENE THE JOINT SESSION TO DELIBERATE ON MINDANAO MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION

With all due respect to our esteemed colleagues, Congress must hold a joint session on the declaration of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus -- in a public and transparent manner and in an official proceeding.

(The writ of habeas corpus basically requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge. This is used for people who believe they are unlawfully detained, and are thus questioning their arrest or detainment.)

If very sensitive matters may compromise the ongoing operations and safety of our men in uniform, then we can go into executive session.

Granted, Article VII Section 18 of the constitution does not mandate Congress to approve these two extraordinary executive powers that affect the rights of millions of people.

Yet, public accountability, transparency, and the right of our people to be informed of matters of public interest are all constitutional tenets, and thus form constitutional bases for the joint session.

It is legally untenable that revoking the declaration and thereby sparing our citizens from the infringement of their rights must be done in a joint public session, while allowing it to remain uncontested with the rights of millions curtailed or diminished need not be done in an official proceeding.

Our citizens are spared in the first instance, and punished in the second.

While a person need not know why he or she is spared from punishment, every person needs to know why he or she is being punished.

We urge Congress leaders to rethink their position and convene the joint session of Congress.

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