Why Martial Law?

By PJTremedal

Iligan City – In 1972, then President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos after studying the situation of the country allegedly under threat by communists and other militant groups and foreseen that the nation is under eminent danger, he decided to create his own idea of declaring martial rule-The Philippine Style.

Without the help of the two congresses, the House of Representatives and the Senate declaring the nation under the state of emergency according to the 1935 Constitution, and without safety measures, on September 21, 1971 he declared Martial Law. The writ of habeas corpus was suspended, and as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines he runs after his enemies.

Human Rights was abused, hundreds of political prisoners were imprisoned without due process, the media was closed down, and the militant are on the run hiding for their lives against the tyrant of the state, Marcos.

Then a New Republic was created thru his Presidential Decrees, No two congress that can check and balance the government, but Marcos then, created the first ever Parliament of the nation, again he become the Head of State, and run by his puppet Prime Ministers.

In 1986, He was removed by the Filipinos thru the world famous People Power Revolution and put to presidency Corazon Aquino as the revolutionary legend of the 80’s. With her Presidential Proclamation no 1 created and organized new set of constitutional delegates from lawyers group, teachers and the academe, businessmen, the youth sector, political analysts and even from the church and other delegates to meet after an election as they will represent its other sector to amend and promulgate the Constitution. The 1987 Philippine Constitution was born.

Martial rule was erased from the people’s mind and heart, and tried to bring back democracy thru the new constitution. And the rest was history.

This year 2009, the Filipinos again suffered from different changes from political, economic, social and even with the weather, and because of the infamous climate change syndrome. Typhoon “Ondoy” and “Peping” changed the life of some Filipinos but not all as they were victims of nature’s might.

With the Arroyo government, Filipinos tried to overcome the suffering however with the November 23 Massacre in Maguindanao Province, which 57 non-combatants and innocent civilians to include 30 media practetioners suffered a blatant death, inhumane, gruesome, because of political reasons, again the Filipinos was humiliated as the world catch its attention to the gruesome killings.

The Ampatuans of Maguindanao were the suspects; (they) were supposed to be the leaders and were entrusted by the person to defend their rights which is the very unconditional responsibility. The case now being investigated triggered the imposition of Martial Rule in the province of Maguindanao and feared that it will expand to other provinces in Mindanao.

As congress heated on debate on this issue, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo decided to lift it. However, Filipinos are still wondering why declared martial rule to a purely police matter case.

Some pro-government individuals said that it has helped unearthed cache of firearms and ammunitions by the Ampatuans that can armed a battalion of private armies. The caches of firearms (some crew serve weapons) are now under policed and military investigation if this were the firearms used in the killings.

To include the Ampatuans, another 161 suspects are now under the law to be investigated according to the AFP and the PNP. Yes, Martial rule was lifted but the fear of implementing it again because of the upcoming May Election in 2010, to be realized or not. It should be talk about. Why Martial Rule is the ultimate mechanism to save government laxity of its laws.

The Civil Society Organization Forum for Peace as it celebrates the observance of the Mindanao week of Peace, the International Human Rights Day whose celebrations is concern about the context of peace, Good Governance and Environmental protection and preservation as a social equation towards peace and development will host a “Forum on the Implications of Martial Law and its Impact to Human Rights”

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Topics to be discussed by Atty. Samson Dajao, Prosecutor-RTC Iligan and Atty Farouk Batara of the CHR Iligan office on the Legal perspective on its imposition, Col Gerardo Barrientos,GSC, Deputy Bde Commander, 104^th Army Brigade, 1ID on the military perspective and Ms. Violeta Gloria, a practicing media, MindaNews-Iligan Bureau on how Martial Law affects Press freedom and the Safety of Media Practetioners.

Again why Martial Law?

PHILIP JAMES MONGAYA TREMEDAL
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