What is it it with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez? Does he think he is above the President? President Rodrigo Duterte himself said he would abide by the decision of the Supreme Court if it rules that a joint session of Congress is needed to review the legality of martial law in Mindanao.
Not so Speaker Alvarez. He pompously declared in an interview with House reporters that he would rip any high court order telling Congress to hold a joint session on the issue. Alvarez said the Legislative is independent of the Judiciary and it cannot tell Congress what to do. He should have stopped at invoking the independence of the three branches of government.
But he didn’t. Instead he went as far as to say he would rip up the Supreme Court order. This is open defiance that could precipitate a constitutional crisis. Power, indeed, can be intoxicating—especially if one moves in the inner circle of Duterte.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio have yet to respond to the upstart’s naked display of power Alvarez may not realize it but he’s doing damage and disservice to Digong who just might have him replaced as Speaker.
Yeah, right. Congress is independent, so claims Alvarez. Yet Congress is at the beck and call of Malacañang when the President wants a priority measure passed. Or when it needs to kill an impeachment complaint against the President as shown in how they threw out Magdalo Party-List Rep. Gary Alejano’s case. Congressmen cannot afford to be independent. They know who holds the key to the funds for their district projects. It’s not called pork barrel anymore but it’s the same mechanism.
Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, whom everyone knows is more steeped in the law than Alvarez is, cites a provision in the 1987 Constitution that specifically requires a joint session of Congress to discuss and review the basis for the declaration of martial law. What are Alvarez and the supermajority in the House afraid of? The administration allies in the House, after all, have the numbers. The airing of views by the minority opposition will be for naught, after all, once the votes are cast and counted.
There is a pending petition in the Supreme Court on the issue of martial law and the convening of joint Congress to ventilate the various views, both for and against it.We hope the issue does not lead to a constitutional crisis.
The Republic is reeling from challenges on several fronts. There is the Marawi City siege by the Maute-IS terrorist group that seeks to establish a separate caliphate carved out of Mindanao. Then, there are sporadic ambuscades of government troops by the communist New People’s Army. There is the brutal war on illegal drugs.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines declared it would liberate Marawi today, Independence Day. But with more than 57 government troops killed in the fight against the Mautes, we doubt whether the Philippine flag can be hoisted in every place in Marawi to replace the black banner of ISIS with whom the Mautes have aligned themselves.
The 57 casualties are more than the 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Force commandos killed by a combined Moro Islamic Liberation Force-Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
There are, however, unconfirmed reports that the Maute brothers have been killed and their followers are on the run, looking for an exit. Earlier, the Maute patriarch was arrested; he is now under detention in Manila. If the Mautes can take hostages and use them as human shields, so can the military hold the Maute patriarch as a pawn.
All is fair in war, after all.
Resorts World Manila shutdown
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. suspended the license of Resorts World Manila to operate casinos. This occurred after a House hearing revealed RWM’s lapses in security when a lone gunman fired shots and torched casino tables earlier this month.
Pagcor chief Andrea Domingo cited several breaches of security protocol that Resorts World committed, including not having a quick response team to deal with emergencies such as an armed intruder.
The gunman, Jessie Carlos, was a sore loser who had a string of bad luck in gambling. Despondent because he owed several millions in debt, he barged into Resorts World and vented his ire on the gambling house a little past midnight when it was still packed with patrons.
Carlos’ act took 38 lives, including his own. Most of the victims died from smoke inhalation.