ROXAS: Creeping Martial Law
Under New EO
Senator Mar Roxas last week warned of "creeping authori-tarianism" in the country as he questioned Mala-cañang’s reorganization, under Executive Order No. 739 signed by President Arroyo last month, of the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) supposedly to battle the communist threat in the country.
Roxas said, EO 739 virtually makes Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno a Co-President with Mrs. Arroyo. She gave him sweeping powers in the name of enforcing security in the entire country, including sanctions against local executives seen as not kowtowing to Malacañang.
"This is creepy. Nakakatakot ito. Para saan ba talaga ang mga bagong kapangyarihan na ito ni Secretary Puno? Ito ba ay para nga magkaroon ng kapa-yapaan at katahi-mikan at labanan ang mga rebelde, o pag-hahanda para sa emergency rule?" Roxas asked.
He noted the recent warning of former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. against the possibility that the ongoing war in Mindanao, if it escalated to terrorist attacks in other parts of the country, could be used by Mala-cañang to declare a state of emergency.
Roxas fought the dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. He reiterated his commitment to fight any attempt to restore authoritarianism and one-man rule as the nation marked the 36th anniversary of Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972 and the closure of the country’s democratic institutions, including Congress.
"Thirty-six years after martial law, it seems we’ve come full circle. We see the same abuse of power, the same propensity for corruption at every level of government, and the same disregard for human rights. What have we done to our country?" he asked.
"The reorganization of this NPOC, which resembles the martial-law era Peace and Order Council, seems to bring back the same climate of fear, suspicion and surveillance that led to extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses under Martial Law," Roxas declared.
Under the reorganized NPOC, the POCs in the regional, provincial, city and municipal levels are also tasked to "apply moral suasion to and/or recommend sanctions against local chief executives who are giving material and political support to the Communist rebels," as stated in EO 739’s Section 3 (d).
"Now, the government is hanging a Damocles’ sword over our local leaders by legitimizing ‘moral suasion’ and actual sanctions, while the authority to do such under existing criminal laws is not stated in the EO," he said.
"Is the government wittingly or unwittingly opening the door to a witch hunt not only to ordinary citizens but also to their elected local leaders?" he asked. /MP
Roxas said, EO 739 virtually makes Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno a Co-President with Mrs. Arroyo. She gave him sweeping powers in the name of enforcing security in the entire country, including sanctions against local executives seen as not kowtowing to Malacañang.
"This is creepy. Nakakatakot ito. Para saan ba talaga ang mga bagong kapangyarihan na ito ni Secretary Puno? Ito ba ay para nga magkaroon ng kapa-yapaan at katahi-mikan at labanan ang mga rebelde, o pag-hahanda para sa emergency rule?" Roxas asked.
He noted the recent warning of former Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. against the possibility that the ongoing war in Mindanao, if it escalated to terrorist attacks in other parts of the country, could be used by Mala-cañang to declare a state of emergency.
Roxas fought the dictatorship of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. He reiterated his commitment to fight any attempt to restore authoritarianism and one-man rule as the nation marked the 36th anniversary of Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law in 1972 and the closure of the country’s democratic institutions, including Congress.
"Thirty-six years after martial law, it seems we’ve come full circle. We see the same abuse of power, the same propensity for corruption at every level of government, and the same disregard for human rights. What have we done to our country?" he asked.
"The reorganization of this NPOC, which resembles the martial-law era Peace and Order Council, seems to bring back the same climate of fear, suspicion and surveillance that led to extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses under Martial Law," Roxas declared.
Under the reorganized NPOC, the POCs in the regional, provincial, city and municipal levels are also tasked to "apply moral suasion to and/or recommend sanctions against local chief executives who are giving material and political support to the Communist rebels," as stated in EO 739’s Section 3 (d).
"Now, the government is hanging a Damocles’ sword over our local leaders by legitimizing ‘moral suasion’ and actual sanctions, while the authority to do such under existing criminal laws is not stated in the EO," he said.
"Is the government wittingly or unwittingly opening the door to a witch hunt not only to ordinary citizens but also to their elected local leaders?" he asked. /MP
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