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No joint session today; postponed to tomorrow, Wednesday

The joint session of Congress on Proclamation 1959 declaring martial law in Maguindanao and suspension of writ of habeas corpus will be tomorrow, Wednesday starting at 4 p.m.

Representatives of both chambers of the Legislature agreed late last night on the rules of the joint session. Those rules will be approved in separate regular sessions today.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said they expect the joint sessions to last two or three days because they will be inviting resource speakers. Among them, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, AFP Chief Victor Ibrado, PNP Chief Jesus Versoza, Justice Secetary Agnes Devanadera, Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, and others.

The voting will be jointly, where it is expectred that the pro-martial law Arroyo allies will drown out the anti-martial legislators.

Arroyo’s allies dominate the 268- member House of Representatives. In fact, in the beginning, House Speaker Prospero Nograles wanted to file a resolution supporting 1959 but witbdraw it when Akbayan representatives Walden Bello and Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution opposing 1959.

In the Senate 18 senators signed a resolution opposing 1959: Among them are Senators Miriam Santiago, Panfilo Lacson, Rodolfo Biazon, Aquilino Pimentel,Manny Villar, Ridhard Gordon, Francis Escudero, Mar Roxas, Francis Pangilinan, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Miguel Zubiri and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes, who is detained at Camp Crame and is not allowed to vote issued a statment that Gloria Arroyo can’t trusted with martial law.

In a statement, he said, ” The primary issue at hand is not whether the declaration of Martial Law is the right policy to address the situation in Maguindanao. It is whether Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could be entrusted with such enormous power. Clearly, the answer is NO.

” For the past nine years in office, GMA has not only abused all the powers vested in the presidency but also corrupted all the other institutions of government for the purpose of amassing more wealth and more power. Thus, entrusting her with even more power is a very dangerous proposition to even consider as it would likely be an opening that she is bound to take advantage of.

” Moreover, based on the media reports, the AFP was already in control of the situation on the ground even prior to the Martial Law declaration.

“In view of the above,I hereby state my position to revoke Proclamation 1959 even as I exhort all my esteemed colleagues in the Senate to do the same and continue to guard against every possible insidious plot of GMA to perpetuate herself in power beyond the end of her term in 2010.”

Santiago, on the other hand blames Arroyo’s advisers sayins she (Arroyo) might have “acted in good faith but apparently, her legal advisers had not.”

In her usual colorful language she said the advisers, “should be taken out and shot. They should be buried with a backhoe.” Santiago said in all seriousness while eliciting laughter from reporters.

In her usual colorful languageSantiago, a close ally of Ms Arroyo, Santiago, a close ally of Ms Arroyo, said she presumed the President acted in good faith but apparently, her legal advisers had not.

“So I ask the television audience: Have you seen any footage of people in Maguindanao rising up publicly, armed and proclaiming they are trying to get allegiance of the Filipinos in Maguindanao from our own elected government, or trying to acquire for themselves part of the Philippine territory, or part of the Armed Forces, or exercising part of the executive or legislative powers that are given to the proper authorities under our Constitution?” Santiago said.

She said this only showed “there was something wrong with the optics of the officials who advised President Arroyo.”

Lawyers led by former Senate President Jovito Salonga, former Dean of the UP College of Law Raul Pangalangan, and CenterLaw’s Harry Roque and four other groups filed five petitions before the Supreme Court to declare Proclamation 1959 null and void.

Click here:

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091208-240761/5-petitions-filed-in-SC-to-nullify-martial-law

Five pe

Published inGovernanceMaguindanao massacreMilitary

43 Comments

  1. the joint sessions to last two or three days because they will be inviting resource speakers.

    Hahahah! Naknampucha! What on earth do they really expect to hear from their “resource speakers”? “Inviting them?

  2. Edong Ermita will exude “gravitas” and will drown the joint session with put on “soldier-stateman” rhetorics 🙂 … Congress will be speechless after that. Hah!

  3. If this is how slow the reaction of legislature is to martial law in a smaller scale, imagine how would it be if it’s martial law inthe whole country.

    Or worse, failure of elections.

    God save the Filipino people.

  4. chi chi

    Ina ng awa na emergency yan! Resource speakers, akala ko ba na kaya sila nandyan sa Congress ay may alam sila sa Constitution? Sayang lang ang pinasusweldo natin sa mga hinayupak na yan.

    Ang tagal ng deklarado ni Gloria ang martial law sa Maguindanao ay mag-iimbita pa lang ng resource speakers ang tongreso. Ano yan, ipapasa nila sa mga iimbitahan ang responsibilidad na mag-decision na dapat ay sa kanila manggaling? Umiiwas sila na pagbuntunan ng galit ng kapinuyan, takot na hindi manalo sa eleksyon.

    Drible nang drible, pasa ng pasa ng responsibilidad at accountability sa iba ang mga tongresmen…natutunan nila sa pekeng presidente.

  5. Ano yan, ipapasa nila sa mga iimbitahan ang responsibilidad na mag-decision na dapat ay sa kanila manggaling?

    Dead on!

    Chi, sana mabasa nila iyang sinabi mo para mapahiya naman ng konti ang mga tamad at takot na yan.

  6. Kung matutuloy ang joint session, ang tantya ko, maigi na ang half of present congressmen will be present lalo na yung mga reelectionists at dating kaalyado ni GMA pero sumakabilang bakuran na. Hindi nila kasi akalaing magkakaroon ng ganitong sitwasyon. Papaano nila kokontrahin ang ML eh may pinagsamahan at cashunduan sila noon. Otherwise, sisingilin sila samantalang ang mga taga distrito nila, magmamasid kung saan sila papanig. A-absent na lang.

  7. Kapag lumampas sa 200 ang mga kinatawan na dadalo sa joint session na ituturing kong isang milagro, mali ako sa aking paghusga. I’m shorry! Pero hindi ako magkakamali sa aking sapantaha na kung sa pagpasok pa lang nila sa Batasan ay abot tenga na ang kanilang ngiti, nagkaroon ng milagro. Ayos na ang buto-buto!

  8. asiandelight asiandelight

    I hope both corrupt chambers can deliberate and think about the dead and their families. IF SC junk Martial law , the Ampatuans would be able to petition for their release because their arrest during martial law would have been rendered illegal. They can also appeal to remove the ‘freeze” against their thousand million assets.

    The chambers are as liable as Gloria. They are supposed to be the “check and balance ” but instead they desired to receive the check and balance it without the people…

  9. Palamuti lang ang mga resource speakers and it will not change their mind anymore on how they will vote on Proc 1959. Katulad din yan ng mga nagdaang impeachment proceedings. Walang nakikinig sa mga speeches,kanya kanyang kwentuhan at kwentahan kung magkaano.

  10. asiandelight asiandelight

    They can lift the Martial sooner but the Ampatuans cannot be off the hook. yan ang siguradohin nila…

  11. Tedanz Tedanz

    Bakit hindi si Glorya ang inimbitahan nila? Busy ba doon sa investment niya sa Dubai?

  12. olan olan

    asiandelight – December 8, 2009 11:47 am

    The chambers are as liable as Gloria. They are supposed to be the “check and balance ” but instead they desired to receive the check and balance it without the people…

    Hahaha..huli mo!

    Ang senado, di pa nagsisimula ang laban suko na kaagad at ang lower house naman oo kaagad…walang tunay na naninindigan laban sa martial law ni goyang! All for show!

    Si Goyang at mga kasamahan niya ay mga duwag at mapaglinlang..di kayang humarap sa tao

    The people will never forget what these administration did to our democracy!!

  13. olan olan

    chi – December 8, 2009 10:38 am

    Ina ng awa na emergency yan! Resource speakers, akala ko ba na kaya sila nandyan sa Congress ay may alam sila sa Constitution? Sayang lang ang pinasusweldo natin sa mga hinayupak na yan.
    ——

    Most in Congress think of themselves as somebody above everyone else and lucky yearly lotto winner…biro mo salitang YES lang kailangan nilang memoryahin serbisyo na!

  14. tru blue tru blue

    Imbitahin na rin si Pakyaw as a Resource Speaker, let’s listen to what he has in mind, malay natin baka may itinatago rin na pambigla. He is in a way assistant to the assistant dep national security adviser Sab-it, a proclaimed national hero to many, and soon-to-be-or-hope-not-to-be-tongressman.

  15. MPRivera MPRivera

    Mga sangkap ng Century Roll Gloria:

    1. Mga ganid na pulitiko
    2. Mga inutil na gabinete
    3. Mga pulpol na heneral
    4. Mga negosyanteng suwapang
    5. Oposisyong walang kahandaan
    6. Taong bayang walang pakialam
    7. Mga kawal at pulis na sunudsunuran

  16. Diego K. Guerrero Diego K. Guerrero

    Naka-tatlong beses na siya nag-deklara ng state of emergency a.k.a. martial law. Palaging AFP commander-in-chief daw. Peke naman. Abusado talaga!

    1. May 1, 2001 State of Rebellion in the National Capital Region
    http://www.lawphil.net/executive/proc/proc_38_2001.html

    2. February 24, 2006 State of National Emergency
    http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/proc_no1017.htm

    3. December 4, 2009 Arroyo’s declaration of martial law in Maguindanao
    http://www.gmanews.tv/story/178582/full-text-arroyos-declaration-of-martial-law-in-maguindanao

  17. MPRivera MPRivera

    Pulitiko sa Luzon nagregalo ng mga armas sa Ampatuan

    http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/dec0809/news_story3.htm

    Walang silbi ang mga ganitong pagbubunyag kung hindi papangalanan ang mga sangkot at may kagagawan.

    Paanong malilinis ang ating gobyerno kung meron ngang impormasyon, bitin naman.

  18. MPRivera MPRivera

    Utak ng martial law, barilin at ibaon — Miriam

    http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/dec0809/news_story7.htm

    Hige, isama na si Brenda dahil siya ang may ideya na kasuhan ng rebelyon ang mga Ampatuan na siyang ugat kaya idineklara ni teh goyang ang martial law sa Maguindanao.

    Brenda, kung hindi lamang parang galamay ng pugita ang takbo ng iyong utak at katwiran ay paniniwalaan ka namin.

    Umuusok ang tuktok mo sa galit kina goyang ngayon, pag may biyahe naman ang panduck ay kabuntot ka rin at para kayong panutsang saklob na hindi naghihiwalay.

  19. martina martina

    Few more days para sa horse trading. Siempre sa una magpakipot ang mga tongressmen at senatongs, later on tatawagan si Glue para sa dagdag, hello, yung dagdag nasa envelop na ba?

    Parang very sure at confident si Devanadera na ‘on’ ang ML, kasi may nagtanong papaano daw kung sabihin ng SC na illegal, ano ang mangyayari. Ang sagot ba naman ay ‘sorry, but i don’t dwell/reply on speculations’, or something to that effect.

  20. Eggplant Eggplant

    According to report mas gusto raw ng mga tao sa Maguindanao ang martial law. At least alam nila na ang mga may hawak ng baril ay mga tunay na militar at pulis.

    Kaya?

  21. Eggplant Eggplant

    Nakalimutan na ang mga isyung pang-ekonomya na napabayaan ni Gloria dahil lang sa martial law na iyan.

    Sige na nga gawin na ninyong anim na buwan nang humaba pa ang usapan.

    Samantala humahalaklak sa tuwa ang demonyita.

  22. bobong bobong

    Sen. Trillanes is damn right when he said that Mrs. Arroyo can never be trusted.

    Arroyo has proven time and again that she is LIAR, THIEF and GREED for POWER.

    The people of Pampanga can do us big favor if they will not vote for this CONGENITAL LIAR and THIEF to congress.

    To the people of Pampanga, sana maging wise voter kayo.

  23. MPRivera MPRivera

    PNP monitoring 28 Ampatuan mansions

    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/08/09/pnp-monitoring-28-ampatuan-mansions

    Anak ng pustiso, oo!

    Kung ganito kayaman ang galamay, ano pa kaya ang kakutsabang bonsai?

    Lintek! Maguindanao is one of the poorest province in Southern Philippines, pero ang mga namumuno pala doon ay parang mga hari sa dami ng palasyo?

    Grabe ka, gloria! Katulad mong magnanakaw ay halos malunod na sa bagyong grasya palibhasa’y habang buhay ang gusto mong pagtatampisaw sa kapangyarihan at wala silang tanggi kahit na naghihikahos ang kanilang mga nasasakupan.

    Hindi baleng magkamatay sa gutom at paghihikahos ang mga pobre basta’t sagana palagi ang inyong dulang.

    Mga ganid na hayup!

  24. MPRivera MPRivera

    Masbate vice mayoral candidate shot by gunmen

    http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/12/07/09/masbate-vice-mayoral-candidate-shot-gunmen

    Itong mga ganitong pangyayari ang sasamantalahin ng mga demonyo sa malakanyang upang ipasailalim ng martial law ang buong bansa.

    Imminent danger daw sa national security. Pero kung magiging malaliman ang imbestigasyon ng alinmang independent body ay lalabas na kapanalig din ng mga maligno sa palasyo ang utak nito.

    Siyempre, kailangan nila ng justification upang maibaba ang martial law at presto, habang buhay na si lola sa palasyo!

  25. martina martina

    Si Brenda ay bunganga ng bunganga, hangang duon lang naman. Hindi ba nuon panay ang banat niya sa road toll collections yata iyon na sinasabing involve ang isang Puno, whatever happened to that? Pag sinabi ng isang senatong na kailangan may investigation, ibig sabihin yata, sali naman ako diyan o kung gusto pa niya ang dagdag, yung dagdag, yan ang duda ko.

  26. Off-Topic:

    Grace Padaca is unseated by COMELEC!

    Jonjon Mendoza was unseated last week.

    Among Ed is reportedly trailing behind in the recount.

    Sino’ng susunod? Si Jess Robredo?

    A pattern is emerging… are we supposed to pin our hopes on an “impartial” COMELEC?

  27. Jake Las Pinas Jake Las Pinas

    Mag umpisa na sana ang joint session para malaman ng tao kung sino ang mga pro martial law. Malapit na ang eleksyon. Sigurado talo ang mga boboto para sa martial law. Opponents of incumbents who vote for martial law should take advantage. Nograles – hindi ka na mananalo sa Davao kung sumang ayon ka sa martial law, pati pamilya mo hindi na mananalo. The liberal Party should help the candidates who go against incumbents who will vote for martial law if they want to be majority in the house.

  28. saxnviolins saxnviolins

    TRO denied daw.

    Mali kasi ang hiningi, yung lifting of martial law. The Court will not do that, out the abundance of caution. Anyway wala namang urgency to lift.

    Ang dapat hiningi ay TRO on the Congress; otherwise, there will be conflicting findings. Once a citizen has already gone to Court, and the Court assumes jurisdiction, it is to the exclusion of all others.

    Congress only makes the law; it cannot interpret it. So on the issue of whether or not the proclamation is according to the Constitution, it is the Court, not the legislature that has SOLE authority. Yung revoke or affirm na sinasabi sa Constitution, parang ratification of a treaty lang yan. Confirmatory lang ang Congress, but the final and only say on the validity of the proclamation lies with the Court.

    Kung pumalag ang mga pulpol na lawyer/congressmen, pabasahin uli ang Marbury v. Madison.

  29. Kaya pala tinanggihan na ni Puno yung “decorative” position ng VP ng Lakas team, daig pa niya ang hari ng ARMM. Under niya ngayon si Governor Zaldy ng ARMM at Saudi/Andal Sr. ng Maguindanao.

  30. Revoking martial law and impeaching a sitting president have strong similarities.

    The decision by the members of Congress determine the outcome. If Congress can not do either (revoke or impeach), then end-game is based on the ticking of the clock. Martial law ends after 60 days, unless “re-elected”/extended). The sitting president stays until end-of-term ( unless the Constitution is changed).

  31. Merong anomaly diyan sa puwesto ng Governor ng Maguindanao, bakit ‘kanyo? Nung 2007, gumawa sila ng bagong probinsiya – Sharif Kabunsuan – na inukit sa Maguindanao. Si Mastura ang nanalo doon. Si Andal Sr. naman sa Magindanao at Vice Gov. niya ang anak na si Saudi Ampatuan.

    Nung ideklara ng SC na illegal yung pagkakagawa ng Sharif Kabunsuan, tanggal sa puwesto si Mastura, pati si Andal Sr., illegal din ang pagkakahalal dahil hindi siya kandidato sa Sharif Kabunsuan. Dalawang gobernador ang nalaglag, kaya ang pinaupo sa Maguindanao ay si Saudi Ampatuan. Pero isang araw bigla na lang nagdeklara si Andal Sr. na siya na uli ang gobernador.

    Pootek, puwede ba yon? Tinanggal siya ng Comelec sa puwesto pero isang araw, siya na raw uli?

    Hindi dapat ang mga Ampatuan lang ang kasuhan ng pananabotahe ng gobyerno sa Maguindanao, dapat pati DILG na kumikilala pa rin sa kaniya bilang gobernador gayong iligal nga. Hindi dapat isisi sa Ampatuan lang ang “failure” of government sa probinsiya, malaking kasalanan ay ang central gov’t na pinamumunuan ni Putot.

    Si Putot dapat ang i-warrantless arrest at habang nakakulong siya, puwede na munang mag-imbita ang mga senador ng daan libong mga resource persons. Pakialam ko kung abutin pa ng susunod na Pasko!

  32. Tongue T

    Sa true lang, wais yang si Puno. Alam nyang alaws na mangyayari kung tuloy siya sa pagka VP. He’s such an smart operative at alam ang galaw and pulse of the voters, ayaw nyang maging talunan. Kaya nga hindi tayo nagtaka kung sinong presidente, doon siya. After 2010 elections, kung dehins maka-bwelo si glorya sa cha-cha, etc. etc, he will lie low for a whie then resurrect himself by joining kung sinong nakaupo. Meantime, kung magbunga ang actual objective ni glorya in running for a congressional seat, siempre kung may bunga may puno.

  33. Pareng Joe, kung nung una, pabor si Brenda sa pinag-gagawa ni Putot gaya ng state of emergency, pero nung nanombrahan si Puno bilang OIC ng Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat at Marawi City biglang kumuliling yung ringtone sa utak ni Miriam!

    Alam yata ni Brenda na sa Maguindanao, “trinabaho” din ni Puno kakutsaba ang mga Ampatuan para himasin yung mga boto ni Talimusak kaya siya naungusan sa bilangan.

  34. MPRivera MPRivera

    Tuso na may pagkahunyango.

    ‘Yan ang puno ng balite na ang pangalan ay Ronaldo.

    Teka, patay na puno ‘ata ‘yan. Namumunga ng mapakla ang lasa’y asupre.

  35. Tedanz Tedanz

    “Mali kasi ang hiningi, yung lifting of martial law. The Court will not do that, out the abundance of caution.” — sax
    Hindi ba alam ni Roque at Salonga iyan at pati na din yong ex-dean ng Law sa UP? Kaya pala pinagtatawanan lang sila ni Glorya. Nasa kanya na lahat yata ang mga magagaling na Lawyer.
    Dito naman sa ating mga magagaling na mga Presidentiables … nagmumukha yata silang Totoy kumpara kay Glorya. Mga walang silbi!!!!

  36. Oblak Oblak

    In fairness to the lawyers who filed the Petition before the Supreme Court and applied for TRO, they just did what they thought they ought to include in the Petition. In the absence of any prohibition in applying for a TRO in this case, they can do so. Ganyan talaga ang labanan sa Supreme Court, todo mo na lahat kahit alam mo na maliit ang posibilidad na pagbibigyan ka.

    They may lose in the application for TRO or the whole petition itself but they should be credited for courage and patience. Hindi biro ang magfile ng 19 kopya ng Petition na may 20 pages sa supreme court. sa pag paxerox pa lang kalahating araw na yun. Hindi rin naman tayo pina rereimburse sa ginastos nilang malaki para ifile ang petition.

    I commend these lawyers for slugging it out with the machine. They may not win at all but they did something to contest the declaration of Martial law.

  37. Slow by slow, ang duda ng marami sa malabong basehan ng Proc 1959 ay may naaanigan nang andap-andap na liwanag.

    Bakit kamo? Sangayon kay Acting DND Sec. Gonzales, there are 1M loose firearms all over the country. Itong loose firearms ang isang dahilan ng ML sa Maguindanao. Sa kadahilanang sa lahat ng panig ng bansa ay may naglipanang loose firearms, namumuro na ang sapantaha na magiging all over the country na rin ang ML.

  38. rose rose

    ano ang ibig sabihin ng “unseated” sa ouesto? pinaalis? bakit si putot hindi mapaalis ng Comelec? at pinako pa ata..

  39. Wednesday, December 2009, 18 senators and 192 members of the house of representatives are present in the joint session to deliberate on Proc 1959.

    Those who are absent are presumably pro-ML and afraid to register their votes. Let’s see how the total of 210 legislators will vote. The latest count is that there are already 51 congressmen who signified their anti ML stance and 17 from the senators. At least 147 votes vs Proc 1959 are needed to lift the martial law.

  40. At least 147 votes vs Proc 1959 are needed to lift the martial law.

    What an incredible position to be in! It should be a cut and dry session:

    Question: Does the proclamation of martial law in Maguindanao violate provisions in the Constitution?

    If so, vote yes, If not vote no!

    If yes, then they must move to revoke it. If no, then all is in order… Uwi na sila.

    Ineffectual Congress! Stupid, idiots, useless people, parasites feeding on the flesh of Filipinos.

  41. rose rose

    ang botohan ba ay “viva voce” or “raise your hand”? sana mabilang kung sino ang mga “yes” or “no” para malaman kung ano klase silang representatives..para may record…

  42. Rose, ganito ang botohan ayon sa pagkakakuwento sa akin:

    Nograles: Those who are in favor of Martial Law, please raise your envelops.

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