RP diplomats say no factual basis for 1017

The Union of Filipino Foreign Services Officers (Uniffors) say that contrary to what Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo is peddling abroad, career diplomats insist there is simply no factual basis for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Proclamation 1017. The group said the proclamation has been met with universal condemnation and defiance, and appears to be more an admission of panic. "The picture slowly emerging is that of two apparently benign provisions of the Constitution being shamelessly used to perpetuate a panicky, self-elected president in power," Uniffors said in its web log. It said the spin of government propagandists that civil liberties will remain intact has been shot down with the arrests of academics and party-list representatives, and raids on media. Uniffors said the first is Sec. 18 Art. VII of the Constitution allows the commander-in-chief to declare martial law. The second is Sec. 17, Art. XII, which provides for emergency rule. The second, it noted, allows government to temporarily take over any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest. Trade and Industry Secreatary Peter Favila said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's economic managers, after monitoring the situation during the weekend, had wanted to have her lift Proclamation 1017 before noon Sunday. Hpwever, it was also her economic managers—not security officials—who gave face to Malacañang's efforts to defuse the tense situation in the country. In fact, Mrs. Arroyo's first appearance before the media—albeit not a press conference—since she declared a state of national emergency last Friday, she talked about the rollback of fuel pump prices with Favila and Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla. The economic managers, taking six-hour shifts, also manned the Situation Room at the ground floor of the Presidential guest house 24 hours a day since Thursday night to be available to answer questions for the President and other officials and media. On the other hand, Uniffors also questioned the factual bases of the claims Malacañang made regarding the basis for Proclamation 1017, including a supposed Left-Right tactical alliance. "The intelligence reports supporting the allegations come from the same tainted intelligence service employed to cover up the Garci tapes and to monitor the activities of the opposition during the 2004 elections," it said. Even if the Magdalo plot really existed, it said the Revised Penal Code provisions on sedition and rebellion "would be sufficient to nip such plot in the bud." Uniffors added that the role of Brig. General Danilo Lim, the commanding officer of the Scout Ranger Regiment, still remains a mystery. It said Lim merely informed the chief of staff he intended to join the protest march unarmed because he was withdrawing his support for the chain of command. Uniffors also scored the timing of the declaration of the state of national emergency was made close to noontime on February 24, the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of EDSA-1. "Could it be that Malacañang panicked in the expectation that the crowds gathering at Makati could reach large numbers that would clearly reflect popular rejection of the illegal tenant of the presidential palace?" it said. Also, it said Sunday's standoff at Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio was dismissed as an "internal matter," yet it remained unclear why Marine commandant Brig. Gen. Renato Miranda made a "strange request" asking to be relieved. "We suspect that Miranda was eased out because he refused to play ball with the Arroyo administration the same way that Gen. Gudani and Lt. Col. Balutan protested the use of the Marines in Lanao during the 2004 elections and were summarily relieved thereafter. The deep discontent in certain sectors of the military that has been hidden from the public view is finally out in the open," Uniffors said.-GMANews.TV