THE twilight of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s (PGMA) inglorious rule will forever be remembered and recorded in history books as shocking. For weeks, the Arroyo regime never failed to give the nation a dose of shock, one after the other.

Fifty-seven people, mostly women were mercilessly slaughtered and raped, and organ mutilations for the women was the first shocking event the Arroyo regime gave to the Filipino people, the first Christmas “gift” courtesy of PGMA’s most favored warlord friends, the Ampatuans. The massacre was so gruesome and unprecedented, the entire world was outraged.

People were still reeling from the trauma of the Maguindanao massacre when PGMA injected another vial of shock, running as representative of the second district of Pampanga. Unprecedented for any Filipino leader, what stunned everyone is the degree and depth of hunger and obsession for power of the President. All sane Filipinos were infuriated to find the questionable leader so addicted to power she debased and desecrated the highest office of the land.

PGMA brought the level of shock of the Filipino people to the highest level when suddenly she issued Proclamation 1959, placing Maguindanao under martial law. In her justification, the horrific massacre of 57 people warranted its declaration. In a 20-page report the President submitted to Congress, the mass murder of journalists, lawyers, Mangudadato women and innocent bystanders accompanied by 12 ghastly photographs of unspeakable brutality prompted her to invoke this extra-ordinary measure.

Is martial law justified and necessary? The Constitution provides clear justification for the declaration of martial law – rebellion and invasion. Constitutional experts are unanimous in their interpretation backed by records of the Constitutional Commission that what the Constitution refers to are actual, factual acts of rebellion and invasion. There was none so far.

The best the government can present as to act of rebellion was it is in the offing. President report pointed out the armed groups or private army of the Ampatuans is about to or is planning to mount a rebellion as instructed by the patriarch Andal, Sr. Government further asserted the discovery of cache of high powered firearms and ammunitions including missiles and rockets in the mansions and properties of the Ampatuans make rebellion a clear possibility. Martial law preempted this action of the warlord clan.

But there were no actual acts of rebellion yet which is what the Constitution required. Maguindanao was already placed by PGMA under a state of emergency and more than 4,000 military personnel backed by tanks, planes and helicopters were deployed in the area. Is this not enough? Cases against the Ampatuans were already filed and arrests of many prominent members of the clans were carried out.

Without martial law, the government was able to enforce the law, control the situation and neutralize the Ampatuans. Why declare it? People were suspicious about the real intention of the PGMA.

Maguindanao could just be a dry run. If successful, many suspect PGMA will place the entire under martial law to prolong her stay in power. Mistrust on the President is high as she is addicted to power beyond redemption.

One possibility is, martial law is no other than the Ampatuans’ escape to freedom. As emphasized by her spokesperson, the Ampatuans are still friends of PGMA even if they are in this situation. Many fear the mass murder will be eventually absorbed in the rebellion cases filed against the Ampatuans. Once absorbed, rebellion cases will proceed and if found guilty, the Ampatuans can avail amnesty or pardon from their friend, PGMA.

It is too chilling to contemplate that the perpetrators of the gruesome Maguindanao massacre will walk free anytime soon. But trust the administration of PGMA to do the unthinkable and the impossible. Going by the record, PGMA had done many things deemed impossible before. Many personalities who committed heinous and horrendous crimes – Romeo Jalosjos, Claudio Teehankee Jr., Ninoy’s killers, Paco Laranaga, etc. were pardoned by the President.

Martial law in Maguidanao could just be a pretext on the real objective of PGMA, rescue her friends, the Ampatuans from the claws of the law and secure their freedom by playing around with the law and on mere technicalities. The massacre happened before the alleged rebellion so it cannot and must not be absorbed in the rebellion cases. But everything and anything is possible under the Arroyo regime. The Ampatuans are still dangerous for PGMA – they can expose how she cheated in the 2004 and 2007 elections.

Everyone who desires justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre must maintain the highest vigilance. The reputation of the administration of PGMA to spit on justice and thrashing it is well established. The Filipino people must NOT allow PGMA to do it again and get away with it. Enough is enough! Tama na, sobra na!

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