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Mr.Speaker,Mr.SenatePresident,ThisishowIsumupthegovernment’scase.ItisnotwithoutironythatIstandheredefendingmartiallaw.ButIdodefendit.Nowhereandatnoothertimehasitbeenbetterjustifiednorbasedmoresufficientlyonincontrovertiblefacts.Factsthatcall,indeed,cryoutforthemostextremeexerciseofthepolicepower,whichisnothinglessthanmartiallaw.Facts,notlegalquibbles.Facts,notsemanticdistinctionsofdebatablevalidity.Lookatthebodies,lookatthearmsstockpiles.IsrebellionasdefinedbythePenalCodeanecessaryconditionforthevalidityofaproclamationofmartiallaw?ThenwhereisthedefinitionofinvasioninthePenalCodeforthevalidityofmartiallawinthatcase?SincetherepealoftheAntiSubversionAct,ideologyisnotacomponentofrebellion.Isubmitthatrebellionhereisnotanexclusivereferencetoaparticularprovisionofaparticularlaw;buttoawideyetunmistakable,generalbutnotindiscriminateallusiontoastateofaffairsthathasdeterioratedbeyondlawlessviolence,beyondastateofemergency,toanobstinaterefusaltodischargeproperlythefunctionsofcivilgovernmentinthearea,by,ofallpeople,thedulyconstitutedbutnowobstructiveauthoritiestherein.ItmaybeeasiertorepeatwhatJusticePotterStewartsaidaboutpornographythantofixonceandforallthemeaningofthewordsrebellionandinvasion,inaswiftlychangingworld,wherebothwordscantakeonmyriadrealities.Hesaidhecouldn’texactlydefinepornographybut“IknowitwhenIseeit.”WeareseeingMaguindanaoandwhatwesee,unlesswearemorallyblind,criesoutformartiallaw—atleastfornow.Herewasanobstinaterefusaltoobeythelawandthelawfulcommandsofthenationalgovernment,soastoconstitute,onthepartoftheoncedulyconstitutedauthorities,anillegalusurpationofthegovernmentofficestheyoncelegallyheld;exercisingthemnow,notforthepurposesoflaw,norwiththeaimofdoingjustice,buttousethepowersandfunctionsofthatsamegovernmenttofrustratethelaw,toperpetuateinjustice,toprotecttheperpetratorsofthemosthorriblecrimeinPhilippinehistory,andtopreservethepoliticalinfluencethatinspiredtheperpetratorswiththeideathattheycouldcommitsuchacrimewithtotalimpunity.Thisstateofaffairscallsfornothinglessthanmartiallaw;howeveryouquibblewithwords.Itcallsformartiallawbecausejustcallingoutthearmedforceswastriedandprovedwantingtoquelllawlessviolenceandrestorecivilgovernment.Theproclamationofmartial

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law,whichwasaddressedasmuchatthearmedforcesasatMaguindanao,sendthesignaltoallandsundry:henceforthsoldiersarenolongertoobeynortofearthepoliticianstheywereoncemadetoserveandpanderto,inderogationoftheirprofessionalintegrity,inthenameofamisguidedstrategyofmutualdeterrenceintheongoingsecessionistconflict.No,nowthesoldiersarebeholdenonlytothelawandthelawfulinstitutionsliketheExecutiveandCongressinJointSessionAssembled.MartialLawsendstheneededsignaltooursoldiersandpolicethatnowtheyneednolongerberespectersofspecialpersonsbutonlyoftheConstitution,theBillofRights,ofthecivilandcriminallaws,oftheStateandnotthetemporaryoccupantsofitspublicoffices.Thusaresoldiersandpoliceemboldenedtodotheirproperduty,tousetheirlawfulforcetotheutmostlawfulextent,astoachievethespecificaimoftheproclamation;which,inthiscase,istoarrestwithproperwarrantsanyoneandeveryoneremotelyconnectedtothemassacre.Thereisnoconstitutionalimmunityfromarrest,onlyfromarrestwithoutwarrantanddetentionwithoutcharge.Andthenproceed,asIhopetheyaredoing,todestroythepoliticalinfrastructureofonewarlordfamily—thoughIhopenottofavortheotherone—andpermanentlydismantletheirpoliticalinfluenceintheprovince—thoughIhopenottoestablishthepoliticalinfluenceoftheotherwarlordclan.Butthatisonlymyhope.ItismartiallawthatshockedandawedtheelementsoftheAmpatuanarmytosurrenderwithoutafight.ThisisthesmallestatonementthatthenationalgovernmentandtheAmpatuanscanmakefortheworstcrimeinPhilippinehistory—thenationalgovernmentforarmingthemandtheAmpatuansforusingthosearmssohideously.Itisasked:IfthereismartiallawtorounduptheAmpatuans,whynotextendthemartiallawtocontaintheMILFandevengoafterthedrugtrade?Willoughbysuggeststhataproclamationofmartiallawshouldhaveaspecificaimandshouldnotwanderfromthataim,thatthataimbeingachieved,themissionshouldbedeclaredaccomplished,andmartiallawliftedinthearea.Anyway,itcanbere‐imposedagain,andagain,andagain,andagain—asitcanbereviewedbytheCongressinJointSessionasfrequently.Tothisday,martiallawinMaguindanaohasnot,despitethemartialenergyithasimpartedtothemilitaryandpolice,occasionedasingleabuse.True,soldierskickeddownthedoortoGovernorAmpatuan’shospitalroom.Thatisnotanoffenseinlaw.L

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isnotacrimeinademocracy.Thatisnotevenanoffenseagainstthedoor,becauseadoorhasnolegalstandingtocomplainofbeingkickedevenbeforetheSupremeCourt.Remember,soldierskickedthedoorandnotthegovernor.Anditwasahospitaldoor.Thehospitalcanseekdamages,ifitdares,afterharboringafugitive.Oursoldiershavenotviolatedasinglefundamentalright,notevenoftheperpetratorsofthishideouscrime.Farfromit,oursoldiershavesecuredthefundamentalrightsofthe

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ordinarypeopleofMaguindanaofromthedepredationsoftheAmpatuanfamilyanditsgoons,whetherintheirlingeringterrorofthisfamilytheyadmititornot.ThisisknownastheStockholmSyndrome.Sohere,bywhatevernameyouchoosetocallit,isasituationcomprisinganobstinate,querulous,snarling,vicious,refusaltoobeythelawsandthelawfulordersofthegovernment,onthepartofanowrenegadegovernmentandescalatingfromstubbornresistancetothreateningposture,soastoconstituteinthemindoftheExecutiveathreatsocertainthatitsactualitycouldonlybeestablishedbeyondcavilbythesenselesssacrificeofsoldierstoprovethethreatrealandnotjustloomingorimminent.ThisstateofaffairsincludeswhatthePenalCodecallsseditionandahostofotherfeloniesandoffenses;butwhich,regardlessofwhichdefinitionyouprefer,constitutesforanyreasonablepersonastateofconflict.WhatWilloughbysaid,referringtomartiallawenforcers,ironicallyappliesnottooursoldiersbuttotheirtargets,theAmpatuansandtheirhenchmen.“Nomaninthiscountryissohighthatheisabovethelaw”astheAmpatuansbelieved.“Noofficerofthelawmaysetthatlawatdefiancewithimpunity.”TheAmpatuanswerethefirsttoimposemartiallawinMaguindanaowithoutanybasisbuttheirundyingthirstforpower,whichcouldonlybeslakedbythebloodofanyonetheydisliked.TothemartiallawoftheAmpatuans,theonlyadequateresponsewasmartiallawbythegovernment,whichistheexerciseoftheinherentpolicepowertosecurethepublicsafetythroughthearmedforces.True,thecourtswerefunctioningwhenmartiallawwasproclaimed,Andtrueallgovernmentofficeswereopenforbusiness—butitwasonlyformonkeybusiness,forthebenefitonlyoftheAmpatuans,andagainstthelawfulrequirementsoftheState.ThecivilregistrarrefusedtoissuedeathcertificatesforthevictimsoftheMaguindanaoMassacre,Iguessbecausehecouldnotputmasssuicideasthecauseofdeath.IthasbeensuggestedinthisHousethat,whiletheMaguindanaoMassacreallegedlyhappened,itwasnottheperpetratorswhodidit.Iguessitwassuicide.Inmilitarydoctrine,Mr.SenatePresidentandformerDefenseMinisterEnrile,capabilityamountstointent.ThatthisfullydocumentedcapabilityandinclinationtomountarmedmayhemcamefromthelegallyconstitutedprovincialgovernmentofMaguindanaoonlycompoundedthegravityofthesituationandbroughtitwithintheambitofthehistoricalprecedentsthathavesowiselyinformedthejurisprudenceofmartiallawasIvividlyrecallfrom1972.Itis,asSecretaryPunoaptlycompared,asthoughregularbattalionsoftheAFPhadgonerenegade.Wasthedangersosubstantialastowarrantmartiallaw?HowmanyreallyaretheloyalistsoftheAmpatuans?Athousand,two,three?