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Arroyo report to Congress on imposing martial law in Maguindanao


Article VII, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution states that “within 48 hours from the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of writ of habeas corpus, the President shall submit a report in person or in writing to the Congress." On Sunday night, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo submitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives her report justifying why she placed Maguindanao under martial rule effective 9 p.m. Friday. In her 20-page report signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Mrs. Arroyo explained that "lawless elements have taken up arms and committed public uprising against the duly constituted government and against the people of Maguindanao." Click here to download the report. Mrs. Arroyo said these lawless elements wanted to deprive "the Chief Executive of her powers and prerogatives to enforce the laws of the land and to maintain public order and safety, to the great damage, prejudice and detriment of the people in Maguindanao and the nation as a whole." The report recounted the sequence of events of the infamous November 23 massacre, which she said was widely blamed on Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. However, Andal Ampatuan Jr.’s “capture" did not result in the expeditious prosecution of those who took part in the massacre, according to Mrs. Arroyo. "The Ampatuan group, backed by a formidable group of armed followers, (has) since used (its) strength and political position to deprive the Chief Executive of her power to enforce the law and to maintain public order and safety," Mrs. Arroyo said. Citing intelligence reports, she also said that as of November 29, a total of 2,413 armed militiamen have positioned themselves in Shariff Aguak, Datu Unsay, Datu Salibo, Mamasapano, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Sultan sa Barungis, Datu Piang, Guindulungan, and Talayan. Mrs. Arroyo’s report also said that of the 2,413 armed men, 800 militiamen have about 2,000 firearms and are positioned in 16 towns in Maguindanao. She further said that “the existence of this armed rebellion is further highlighted by the recent recovery of high-powered firearms and ammunition from the 400 security escorts of Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr." The report consisted of six photos of massacre victims and seven photos of high-powered firearms. The President ended her report by saying that the implementation of martial law is necessary “until the time that such rebellion is quelled." The last page of the report is as follows. [Click on the image for a larger view of the page.] Sitrep 1 Click here to view the full text of Proclamation No. 1959 placing Maguindanao under martial rule last Friday. - Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV

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