DUTERTE TO IGNORE CONGRESS, COURT OVER MARTIAL LAW
The constitution gives Congress and Supreme Court oversight on martial law
JOLO home to 20 million people, following deadly clashes in a mostly Muslim-populated city involving militants whom he said were establishing a caliphate for the Islamic State group.
“Until the police and armed forces say that the Philippines is safe, this martial law will continue. I will not listen to others.
“The Supreme Court and Congress, they are not here. Are they the ones dying, bleeding and hemorrhaging because there is no help, no reinforcement? It’s not them.”
The 1987 constitution imposes limits on martial law to prevent a repeat of the abuses carried out under the regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed by a famous “People Power” revolution the previous year.
The constitution requires Congress to approve a president’s declaration of martial law, and limits military rule for 60 days.
If a president wants to extend it, he or she must again get congressional truck because they were unable to recite verses of the Quran.
“We heard gunfire, although I’m not sure if it was the same people who were shot. At 8.20am, there were civilians, concerned citizens, who said ‘can you verify these dead bodies?’.”
Fierce battles restarted yesteday as ground troops engaged Maute fighters with heavy gunfire.
Helicopters fired at least eight endorsement.
The Supreme Court can rule on martial law’s legality.
“The Supreme Court will say it will examine into the factual (basis). Why? I don’t know.
“They (the Supreme Court members) are not soldiers. They don’t know what is happening on the ground,” Duterte said on Saturday here, a southern island under martial law.
A day after declaring martial law, he described the nine years of military rule under Marcos as “very good”, and said his would be similar.
He told soldiers on Friday that rockets on rebel positions and a surveillance drone circled the sky here.
Some civilians left on foot, others tied pieces of white cloth to poles to distinguish themselves from militants as soldiers huddled behind armoured vehicles slowly advanced.
Tens of thousands of people have fled here since Tuesday, when militants went on a rampage seizing a school, a hospital, they would be allowed to conduct searches and arrests without warrants.
“During martial law, your commanders and you can arrest any person, search any house. There is no warrant needed.”
Duterte’s comments contradicted a government statement released on Saturday to explain martial law.
The statement from the government’s information agency said: “Warrants of arrest or search warrants should be issued. No person may be arrested and detained without orders coming from civil courts.” AFP and a cathedral.
Christians were taken hostage, according to church leaders, and more than 100 inmates, among them militants, were freed when rebels took over two jails.
Provincial official Zia Alonto Adiong said more than 2,200 civilians stranded in their homes by street fighting had been sending mobile phone messages asking to be rescued and brought to evacuation centres. Agencies