AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
by William M. Esposo
from The Philippine Star

Both the Information and Education Gaps conspire to perpetuate the conditions trapping many Filipinos in a generational cycle of poverty.
Ill informed and poorly educated, many Filipinos do not understand the systemic exploitation that eventually manifests as the Wealth Gap. The poor only see the abundance that the few enjoy contrasting with the deprivation of the many.
True, there are genuine Christians among the Catholic priests, nuns, Bishops and Cardinals. Like the Christ they try to emulate, they see themselves as agents …

AS I WRECK THIS CHAIR
by William M. Esposo
from The Philippine Star
Patriotic Filipinos who truly care for their country, especially the Justices of the Supreme Court, should not take that “moot and academic” attitude towards Presidential Proclamation (PP) 1959 (imposing martial law in Maguindanao) despite its termination last Saturday.
No doubt that many compelling reasons forced Madame Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) to terminate PP 1959 after just one week and after two very enlightening Joint Sessions of Congress last December 9 and 10. The admissions of her Executive Secretary, Eduardo Ermita, and …

With Due Respect
by Artemio V. Panganiban
from Philippine Daily Inquirer
PRESIDENTIAL Proclamation (PP) 1959 dated Dec. 4, 2009, declaring “a state of martial law” and suspending the writ of habeas corpus in Maguindanao is so inane and so baseless that even a law student will readily disown it. That President Macapagal-Arroyo has “lifted” it last night does not lessen its sheer inanity. Neither should the lifting deter the Supreme Court from chastising the government for recklessly violating our Charter. Let me explain.
Patently unconstitutional. On its face and in its essence, PP 1959 …

Theres The Rub
by Conrado de Quiros
from Philippine Daily Inquirer

The good news is that Miriam Santiago has come to her senses. Last Friday, she warned of the possibility of a “bolder” martial law, or one that would extend to the entire country.
“The (incidents) of more lawlessness and violence in areas near Maguindanao (the hostage-taking of 75 people in Agusan del Sur, the beheading of a kidnap victim in Basilan, the abduction of Basilan State College vice president Orlando Fajardo, and the ambush of a convoy carrying a cache …

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / December 12, 2009) – Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has lifted Saturday martial law in Maguindanao, but the state of emergency stays in the province where security forces are pursuing more than 2,000 armed followers of a powerful political clan linked to the massacre of 57 people last month.
“We will continue with our operations to track down more than 2,000 gunmen who are followers of the Ampatuan clan. Although the President ordered the lifting of the martial law in Maguindanao, the whole province is still in …

PerryScope
By Perry Diaz
“Moro-moro” is a Spanish-era “comedia” (comedy) which depicts a battle between Christians and Moors (Moros). The comedy ends with the Christians always winning and the Moros always losing. A moro-moro is usually a part of a town fiesta since the 17th century. However, it is seldom being played today except by politicians warring for power… and personal gains.
Last December 5, 2009, in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo imposed martial law in the province of Maguindanao. And with lightning speed, the leaders of civil …

by Erick San Juan

As I write this piece, the joint congressional operation with all the antics of who’s who when it comes to expertise in analyzing the constitutionality of the imposition of martial law by the President and the grandstanding of some hopefuls for next year’s election is still heating up on the floors of the House of Representatives.
Not only in the halls of congress that “experts” are trying to find answers to the legality of the martial law imposition but all of us are experiencing so many “examinations” by …

Press Release
December 11, 2009
MIRIAM WARNS OF “CREEPING MARTIAL LAW”

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago warned that the recent spate of major crimes in Mindanao could be part of a plot to extend “creeping martial law” beyond Maguindanao.
Recent major crimes in Mindanao included the abduction of 75 people in Agusan del Sur, beheading of a kidnap victim in Basilan, kidnapping of a Basilan college vice-president, abduction of a military and police convoy in Ampatuan town.
“This looks like a conspiracy to establish facts either to support martial law before the Supreme Court, or to …

by Patricio P. Diaz
from MindaNews

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – “Gambit” as used here means “a calculated move”. The martial law over Maguindanao is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s gambit: To deny criticisms that because of political debts she showed indecisiveness in enforcing the law to give speedy justice to unarmed civilians massacred in Ampatuan, Maguindanao last November 23.
Will the gambit work?
Two Loyal Clans
The massacre was the offshoot of the newly emerged political rivalry between two clans loyal to President Arroyo – the Ampatuan and the Mangudadatu. The latter wants to wrest the governorship …

by Artemio A. Dumlao
 
BAGUIO CITY (December 10, 2009) – A five-day international fact finding mission led by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in Maguindanao found the November 23 massacre of 57 individuals including more than 30 journalists, as “the culmination of decades of government inaction on the killing of journalists.”
 
“It underlines the terrible dangers that Filipino journalists face,” the initial report of the FFM reaching The Philippine Star said.
 
International Federation of Journalists official representative Mike Dobbie who joined representatives from leading journalists’ rights and press freedom organisations like the …