THE House of Representatives and the Senate have agreed to conduct next week their own deliberations on President Rodrigo Duterte's martial law proclamation covering the whole Mindanao, a top official confirmed on Thursday.
In an advisory, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas revealed that his Senate counterpart Senator Vicente Sotto III agreed to have their briefing with the executive branch on Monday.
Meanwhile, the House members will be met by the government officials on Wednesday.
"As per our agreement with Senate ML (majority leader) Tito Sotto, they will get their briefing from the Executive on Monday afternoon and we will have ours on Wednesday morning," Fariñas said.
"I will move on Monday that we will constitute ourselves into a Committee of the Whole for the above purpose, and have our meeting at the Session Hall in an Executive Session," he added.
As of press time, no resolution calling for a joint session has been filed in both chambers.
Earlier, both Fariñas and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said that there is no rush for Congress to conduct its review of the martial law.
The Constitution, according to them, provides that martial law does "not need Congress approval" if it is only for a period of not more than 60 days.
"The President has the power to proclaim martial law for a period of not more than 60 days without congressional approval...The Congress has to act only if it shall revoke such proclamation. If it is in favor of the proclamation, it does not have to act, but nothing prevents either or both Houses from expressing support," Fariñas earlier said.
The President arrived on Wednesday from an abbreviated trip in Russia, a day after imposing martial law in Mindanao following attacks in Marawi City by terrorist Maute Group. (SunStar Philippines)