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Padilla vs. Congress of the Philippines [DECISION]

ALEXANDER A. PADILLA, RENE A.V. SAGUISAG, CHRISTIAN S. MONSOD, LORETTA ANN P. ROSALES, RENE B. GOROSPE, AND SENATOR LEILA M. DE LIMA, PETITIONERS, VS. CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES, CONSISTING OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AS REPRESENTED BY SENATE PRESIDENT AQUILINO "KOKO" PIMENTEL III, AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS REPRESENTED BY HOUSE SPEAKER PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ, RESPONDENTS. [G.R. No. 231694] FORMER SEN. WIGBERTO E. TAÑADA, BISHOP EMERITUS DEOGRACIAS S. IÑIGUEZ, BISHOP BRODERICK PABILLO, BISHOP ANTONIO R. TOBIAS, MO. ADELAIDA YGRUBAY, SHAMAH BULANGIS AND CASSANDRA D. DELURIA, PETITIONERS, VS. CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES, CONSISTING OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AQUILINO "KOKO" PIMENTEL III, PRESIDENT, SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND PANTALEON D. ALVAREZ, SPEAKER, HOUSE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES, RESPONDENTS.

G.R. No. 231671 | 2017-07-25

D E C I S I O N
 
LEONARDO-DE CASTRO, J.:
 
These consolidated petitions under consideration essentially assail the failure and/or refusal of respondent Congress of the Philippines (the Congress), composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives, to convene in joint session and therein deliberate on Proclamation No. 216 issued on May 23, 2017 by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (President Duterte). Through Proclamation No. 216, President Duterte declared a state of martial law and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the whole of Mindanao for a period not exceeding sixty (60) days effective from the...