Foiled again

The commie group of partylisters is just wasting the time of the Supreme Court (SC) and, worse, adding to its already mile-high old cases that have not been decided on by filing yet another challenge to the Congress-approved extension of martial rule in Malacañang.

“This information bared by Solgen Calida in all probability explains the moves of the aboveground commie partylisters’ bloc to have the SC declare unconstitutional the extension sought by Duterte.

This partylist groups calling themselves the “progressive bloc” of legislators went to court again to ask the SC to nullify Congress’ approval of the second extension of martial law (ML) in Mindanao.

President Duterte first declared ML in Mindanao for 60 days, which needed no congressional approval since this period proclaimed unilaterally in any part of the country is constitutionally valid, as the Charter itself says so.

A year’s extension of Duterte’s martial law was approved by Congress — the Senate and the House — for the year 2018.

When the approved extension period expired, the Palace again sought another extension, which was approved for another year, ending in December 2019.

The so-called progressive bloc certainly knows this, given the past rulings of the High Court, that President Duterte is well within his constitutional mandate and right to declare ML as long as Congress gives him and future presidents, too, the go-signal to extend it in Mindanao or in any part of the Philippines. This has already been ruled upon by the SC.

In the bloc’s filed petition, representing the second official challenge to the extension, the opposition lawmakers asked the High Court to declare Congress’ resolution extending military rule in Mindanao until 31 December 2019 unconstitutional, insisting that there is no factual basis for the extension.

The SC upheld the first extension of ML in the region, first declared when the Marawi siege broke out in May 2017 and subsequently prolonged on the basis of government claims that rebellion persists in the area.

Why does the opposition in Congress insist that there is no longer any basis for Duterte to declare ML when they cannot be expected to be the entities and authority to declare whether or not there is factual basis that rebellion continues to exist?

In a comment to the SC on the commie bloc’s charge of the lack of basis, Solicitor General Jose Calida said foreign terrorists continue to enter the country to train local recruits, justifying the legality and constitutionality of the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Calida added the entry of at least four foreign terrorists last year was among the factual bases for the extension of Proclamation 216 for another year or until December 2019.

“There is also a consistent influx of foreign terrorists in the country who are primarily responsible for the conduct of trainings to local terrorist fighters, especially in making improvised explosive devices and motivating locals to serve as suicide bombers,” Calida bared, stressing that there are four identified foreign terrorist fighters and 60 others on the military’s watchlist.

“Why does the opposition in Congress insist that there is no longer any basis for Duterte to declare ML?

Apart from providing the court with official reports of the military, also bared in the report is the “ongoing rebellion of the Daesh-inspired groups and their local and foreign allies, particularly the Daulah Islamiyah and also of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army forces in Mindanao.”

This information bared by Solgen Calida in all probability explains the moves of the aboveground commie partylisters’ bloc to have the SC declare unconstitutional the extension sought by Duterte, since it has become obvious that it is not just the Daesh terrorists that are a threat but also the armed communist rebels that are into terrorizing businesses through their extortion business for starters.

With the checkpoints and other security measures stepped up with the Mindanao ML in force and in effect, it will not only be the terrorists who will be feeling the brunt of ML that will definitely be a factor in either stopping or at the very least slowing down the entry and recruitment of domestic terrorists, such as the Abu Sayyaf, whose rebels are scattered all over Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga covering 138 barangays. There is too the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters group and even some of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels who have been spotted as being engaged in terrorism, despite the MILF leaders’ claim of peace through the creation of a Bangsamoro government.

And, of course, there is the Daesh group that is still pretty active in Mindanao, as bared by Calida.

Calida presented official data. The commie bloc failed to do so. But that is expected. The opposition will always oppose any and all government ML acts that constitute a threat to their commie comrades and their terrorist armed NPA in Mindanao and elsewhere.

And, of course, never far from their commie minds and acts is to oust Duterte, who poses a threat to their existence — in and outside of the Constitution.