ANCINTERVIEWTRANSCRIPTOFSENATORBENIGNO“NOYNOY”AQUINOIIIONMAGUINDANAOMARTIALLAW

Aquino:WefeelthatthereisnobasisfortheimpositionofMartialLaw.TherearesomanypowersvestedinthePresidentthatcouldhavebeendoneandshouldhavebeendoneinsteadofimposingMartialLaw.

Question:WilltherebelegalactiontakenbytheLP?

Aquino:Wehavebeendiscussingthissincelastnight.WehavealsobeenmisledbystatementsfromthePalace.ThereweretextmessagescirculatingthatMartialLawwouldbeimposed.Thiswasdeniedlastnightonlytobeimposedthismorning.WereadinthepapersthattheCabinetdoesn’tseemtobeunited.SecretaryPunoisbeingquotedasMartialLawnotbeingnecessary.SoweareactuallyinthemidstofameetingtodiscusstheappropriateresponsesandalsowhenthePalacereportstoCongressbyMondayinresponsetoConstitutionalprovisions,wewanttomakesurethatthereareno“agendas”otherthanthereviewoftheMartialLawimposition.

Question:SpeakerNograleswassayingthattheyonlyneedtodisapproveorrevokethedeclarationofMartialLawbuttheydon’tneedtoapprove.WhatarethelegislatorswhoarepartofLPsayingaboutthis?

Aquino:Thereisaneed.TheConstitutionisveryspecific.TheExecutivehastoreport—thePresidentorthedulydesignatedrepresentativehastoreport—toCongress,evenifitisnotinsession.Wearesessionnow.WearesupposedtoreviewandwecaneitherconcurornotwiththeimpositionofMartialLaw.ThePresidentcannotsetasidethedecisionofCongresswithregardtothelegalityandfactualbasisforimposingMartialLawandfortheperiod—thiscanbeextended,thiscanbecurtailed.SothereisaneedforCongresstoconvene.

Question:Whatcanyousay(given)thatthisisbeingdeclaredleadinguptothecampaignperiodandelectionseason?

Aquino:Therewerealotoftextmessagessowingalotoffearamongthepopulacelastnight.Now,there’sbeenabombing,Iunderstand,inJolo.WilltheimpositionofMartialLawinMaguindanaoleadtoanimpositioninotherareas?IsthisjusttheiropeningactofwhatisperceivedtobetheintentiontoassumemorepowersundertheConstitution?Thatiswhatwehavetobevigilantabout.Andofcourse,therearethosewho’veopinedthattherewillbeothermattersthatwillbecarriedoutinthejointsessionsuchasCon‐Ass.