Maguindanao ambush shows martial law still needed - AFP

The military is not yet inclined to recommend the lifting of martial law in Maguindanao province especially after the ambush of cops and soldiers there early evening Thursday. "Right now I feel na hindi pa. Meron na ngang incident na naman tapos nandun pa rin yung mga armado … hindi pa rin nagsu-surrender," said Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado after Congress suspended its joint session late Thursday night. He was referring to the attack by still unidentified men on a police and military convoy that was transporting firearms that were seized from the houses and establishments owned by the powerful Ampatuan clan, who are linked to the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in the province. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, through Proclamation 1959, placed Maguindanao under martial rule last Friday to contain what her government said is a looming rebellion there by supporters of the Ampatuan clan. Before the attack, Ibrado said the martial law may be lifted before Christmas, citing the discovery of firearms and the arrest of several members of the Ampatuan family as reasons.

Ambush The authorities, on board a six-vehicle convoy, were supposed to take the weapons to General Santos City when the armed men attacked them in Ampatuan town's Lapu-Lapu village. No one was hurt in the incident. Ibrado said the ambush only showed the need for martial rule in the province. "Ibig sabihin merong mga elements dun na talagang matigas, lumalaban sa gobyerno. Sino naman ang gagawa nun maliban sa mga yun (That means there are still elements who are bent on fighting the government. No one else would do such a thing)," he said. Security officials said there are still more or less 2,000 Ampatuan supporters, some of them members of civilian volunteers organizations (CVOs), who are yet to surrender and yield their firearms despite the government order for them to do so. "We have to make an assessment of the situation on the ground and in consultation with the [Philippine National Police] then that would be time that we would make the recommendation," Ibrado said. Staged? Ibrado dismissed speculations that the incident was staged to justify the declaration of martial law, which has been widely criticized as a “baseless" proclamation. "Of course some people would say that," Ibrado said, adding that one police car was hit in the tail light and fender. The Congress is now on joint session to decide whether to extend or revoke martial rule – the first such proclamation after the late President Ferdinand Marcos declared it on a nationwide scale in 1972.
Malacanang, for its part, kept mum on how long martial law would remain in Maguindanao as it maintained that it's decision would depend on the daily developments in the province. "Titignan nga natin kung ano ang development everyday (we will look at the developments everyday)," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said in ambush interview with reporters after the joint session of Congress was suspended. "That's the reason why we are submitting daily accomplishments of the authorities, the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police," he added. Ermita refused to comment on how the ambush of cops and military in Maguindanao would affect the declaration, noting that he only received information from text. Petitions vs martial law Meanwhile, two more petitions were filed with the Supreme Court asking it to invalidate Proclamation 1959 - one by former Constitutional Commission member Christian Monsod and the other by party-list group Akbayan. The two new suits bring to a total of seven the number of petitions filed assailing Proclamation 1959. Monsod, also a former chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), was joined in his petition by lawyer Carlos Medina Jr., while the Akbayan petition was signed by party-list Reps. Walden Bello and Rissa Hontiveros-Baraquel, among others. The petitioners claimed that the declaration has no factual basis. - with Johanna Camille Sisante/KBK, GMANews.TV