Nograles: No need for joint session to tackle martial law

Speaker Prospero Nograles on Saturday said that there might no longer be a need to convene members of the House of Representatives and the Senate for a joint session if the opinion reached by the majority of lawmakers is to approve the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province. "(I)f the consensus is that we approve it, I think there is no need for a session to approve the declaration of martial law...If we revoke it, then we need a joint session and 147 votes, the simple majority of both the House and the Senate," Nograles said in an interview with a television station. According to Nograles, lawmakers "are a little bit divided legally" on whether to hold a joint session. He stressed that his position is to "meet only if we intend to revoke the declaration of martial law." Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution states that, "The Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majority of all its members in regular or special session, my revoke (the) proclamation or suspension (of martial law), which revocation shall not be set aside by the President." The same section states that, "Upon the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in the same manner, extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by the Congress, if the invasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it." - GMANews.TV