Comments on: Liveblogging the Joint Session of Congress on Martial Law

By: The Long View: To take the lead by leadership : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:03:51 +0000

[...] 24, 2009;Â Out of sight, out of mind, April 30, 2009; Thirty-three percent, September 15, 2009;Â Day 1 and Day 2 of the martial law hearings in Congress last December; Midnight appointments, January 15, [...]

By: Murders, she unwrote | Filipino Voices

Murders, she unwrote | Filipino Voices — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:03:24 +0000

[...] hearing for the purpose of deciding whether or not to revoke the martial law proclamation. As Manolo Quezon live-blogged, she intrepidly suggested that the operation of the Constitution is suspended during martial law so [...]

By: To vanquish a hydra « Random Salt

To vanquish a hydra « Random Salt — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:45:16 +0000

[...] Proclamation No. 1959, the ridiculous, error-riddled report that purports to justify it, and the pathetic performance of Macapagal-Arroyo’s cabinet officials at the joint session of Congress, the price of moving [...]

By: d0d0ng

d0d0ng — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:37:52 +0000

“Rebellion is present in all of the Philippines”.

It is the prerogative of the President to declare it.
It is under the power of the Legislative to revoke or allow it.
And the SC will decide on the legality.

Mindanao could have been under martial law a long time ago because of its true nature of rebellion. But that would not solve the problem.

By: dennis forest

dennis forest — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:48:25 +0000

Martial law is indeed needed if ever rebellion is present.
Declaring martial law in maguindanao is long over due.
With the basis of president GMA in declaring martial in maguindanao, it is just right that martial law should also be declared in the CAR, ARMM, Davao Del Norte, COMVAL province and even in Davao City.
Rebellion is present in all of the Philippines

By: Liveblogging Joint Session on Martial Law: Day Two : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:46:02 +0000

[...] a background on the issues, see Martial Law konfrontasi. For yesterday’s liveblogging, see Liveblogging the Joint Session of Congress on Martial Law. Today’s session is scheduled to resume at 2 PM and will extend possibly to [...]

By: baycas

baycas — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:44:42 +0000

It is enough to invoke the first sentence of Sec. 18 of Art. VII of the 1987 Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief provision:

The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it becomes necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.

I think this Alan Paguiaâ€™s assertion (done last night at GNN during the Joint Suspension) is right on the dot. No need for ML proclamation inasmuch as there is no ACTUAL invasion or rebellion. Prevention or suppression of lawless violence, invasion or rebellion by all armed forces of the Philippines is just what is needed. The looming lawless violence or rebellion may easily allow courts to grant arrest and search warrants. Well, that should be the case in ordinary timesâ€¦but in extraordinary circumstances such as the time when government Ampatuan Frankensteinâ€™s deeds are at their peak and the looming 2004 and 2007 electoral frauds confirmation, I believe, gloria et al will go to the extent of justifying an UNnecessary actionâ€¦ Always something new with this administrationâ€¦ever since the constructive resignation was innovatedâ€¦

By: UP n grad

UP n grad — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:29:43 +0000

To get a glimpse of from whom GMA got the idea to impose martial law, here is cut-and-paste (around 10:13PM Ermita responding to questions from Satur)

Ermita:……Hence collegial recommendation to President to resolve situation by means of martial law. Now the martial law of the past is different from martial law today, suspension of writ not automatic and not open-ended. If martial law had not been imposed, the arrest of those investigators knew had to be taken in couldnâ€™t have occurred because they were surrounded by their armed supporters. disarming wouldnâ€™t have been easy without martial law.

By: d0d0ng

d0d0ng — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:31:01 +0000

From the point of view of a staff sargeant manning a 30 caliber in Maguindanao, Martial Law made it better for them to disarm the militias that they used to train and fight alongside against the Muslim insurgency. He understood such power is only temporary. But if your attack dog bites your hand, you need to whack it by the head.

He even more understood that there are no permanent allies in the Philippines, only unending wars. That is fighting the MNLFs, the MILFs, the NPAs and now their former allies.

By: J_AG

J_AG — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:43:08 +0000

In this age of modern satellite surveillance and the presence of U.S. troops in Mindanao with their operational intelligence sharing with the Philippine military it is highly doubtful that there were large groups of men massing for an armed assault.

The truth is most of the private army of the warlord clan had melted into the population knowing they were going to be suspects in the massacre.

These reports that were used as pretext were simply lies to justify martial law to regain the lost credibility of the government.

The executive government acts with the presumption of regularity under the Constitution. It can act with impunity as we can see and the separate but equal branches are supposed to balance the equation.

But but seeming to participate in the process of law it knows it can draw things out to its advantage.

Another PR exercise to repair an entirely tattered government’s credibility.