AFP chief, DND secretary absent in Congress joint session on martial law

Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado and Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales were conspicuously absent during Wednesday's joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives to deliberate on the merits of the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao. Speaker Prospero Nograles said Gonzales "is in very important trip to Singapore," while Ibrado had just arrived from China.

Gonzales is expected to participate in the session on Thursday, December 10, while Ibrado would have arrived at 4 p.m., according to Nograles. Senator Richard Gordon expressed dismay over the absence of the officials, saying it was a sign that the two were not taking the martial law declaration seriously. "Lumalabas po na tila binabalewala nila ang kahalagahan ng Kongreso sa napakaselan na bagay. Lumalabas din po na mahina ang kaso ng gobyerno, kung nakakaalis ang AFP chief at Defense chief. Lumalabas na parang everything is under control," said Gordon. (It appears that they are taking Congress for granted during the discussion of this sensitive issue. It also appears that because the AFP chief and Defense chief could just leave the country, the case of the government is weak. It appears that everything is under control.) The senator even claimed he saw Gonzales in a hotel just this morning. - Andreo C. Calonzo/TJD, GMANews.TV