WE CONDEMN THE DECLARATION OF MARTIAL LAW !
On Tuesday night, President Rodrigo Duterte declared Martial Law on the entire Mindanao Island while on a state visit in Russia, following the fighting between the military and the Maute group.
It has to be clarified that the clashes were triggered by law enforcement operation in Marawi. This is a situation started by the government itself. Similarly, the Maute group is a local terrorist group, and not ISIS, even as the former tries to ally itself with ISIS.
We condemn the violence perpetrated by the Maute group to advance their political interest. Attacking civilian population not party to the conflict between government forces and the Maute violates duly recognized human rights of the people and violation of International Humanitarian Law on armed conflict.
While the fighting has endangered the life of civilians in the area, Martial Law does not alleviate this danger nor ensure the resolution of conflict and achievement of peace. Note that the National State of Emergency Due to Lawless Violence, declared after the Davao bombing, is still in place nationwide.
Martial Law adversely affects civilians as this would curtail many of their rights. Without Martial Law, the military has engaged and fought terrorist groups in Mindanao and can continue to do so as their obligation and mandate.
With Martial Law, the civil and political rights of the civilians, and their lives, are endangered more than ever. Confusion and insecurity among communities may be taken advantaged of by different armed groups, furthering the violence in Marawi, and the rest of Mindanao. Human rights abuses are bound to happen, especially under a presidency which has openly shown no respect for human rights. It could potentially endanger striking workers and other protesting activists in Mindanao.
The public has the right to be informed of the situation in Mindanao and as of the declaration of Martial Law, a lot of questions remained unanswered. Defense Secretary Lorenzana himself told media that “there is intelligence” about the situation in Marawi, but that this intel has been wrongly interpreted. If the situation in Marawi had to do with weaknesses in the execution of its job, Martial Law, and over the entire Mindanao Island, is NOT the answer to this shortcoming or failure.
The 1987 Constitution has limited the President’s powers to place the country or any part of it under martial law to two situations - invasion or rebellion - and only when the public safety requires it. Clearly, only compelling reasons must justify martial law. The current situation does not constitute sufficient factual basis for the proclamation of martial law or the potential suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.
WE CALL ON THE CONGRESS TO REVOKE THE DECLARATION OF MARTIAL LAW!
iDefend
Martial Law is Not the Answer!
The Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) condemns the atrocious attack on the people of Marawi perpetrated by a local terrorist group. We solidly stand with them in this tragic moment. We believe, however, that the declaration of Martial Law is a heavy-handed response to the situation that even the AFP now claims is under control.
It is in this light that SENTRO condemns the declaration of Martial Law and joins the growing clamor of various social movements, civil society organizations and concerned citizens around the country, especially in Mindanao, in calling for the rescinding of the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.
The real possibility of a state of martial law being utilized for counter-insurgency and the suppression of civil liberties, including workers’ and trade union rights, is a well-founded fear of our people due to our two-decade experience of dictatorship. While the 1987 Constitution (under Art. 18, Sec. VII) has significantly constrained the latitude of abuse a state of martial law may entail, a pliant Congress does not inspire institutional confidence.
We are also calling on the recalibration of transparency ofinformation access regarding the unfolding crisis. While we respect the need for confidentiality and classification the AFP and PNP demands for such a sensitive operation, the humanitarian cost and the very real distress the relatives and friends of Marawi residents all over the country are experiencing also demand due diligence andresponsibility. Rescue the victims, pursue the perpetrators.
In placing Mindanao under Martial Law, the Duterte administration, ironically for a
Mindanao-based leadership, is merely repeating what other administrations have done – to treat Mindanao as a frontier to be subdued rather than governed.
Peace for Mindanao. Stop the War.
Sentro
CONDEMNS MARTIAL LAW IN MINDANAO
We at the #BlockMarcos movement strongly oppose President Rodrigo Duterte’s unjustified and opportunistic imposition of martial law in Mindanao.
We pray for Marawi and extend our solidarity to all those affected, but we do not believe that placing all of Mindanao under full-blown military dictatorship will solve the problem.
Imposing military rule will not end the violence, let alone bring peace to the country. On the contrary, by undermining the limited checks imposed on state forces in these circumstances, military rule will only add fuel to the fire and extinguish prospects for lasting peace.
Giving state forces a free hand in cracking down on anyone they accuse of being a “combatant” will not necessarily help them capture the “enemies,” it will only lead to more human rights violations and strengthen impunity, escalating rather than ending violence.
Martial Law under Marcos, it should be recalled, was also imposed under the pretext of a rebellion. Ironically, it was under Martial Law that some of the worst crimes against Moros and the people of Mindanao were committed. Martial Law did not restore order and did not solve the crises that it claimed to address. On the contrary, it only further exacerbated the conflict and led to more widespread violence and suffering.
We believe that, in the short-term, what will solve the problem is for the state to fulfill its obligation of protecting civilians—something it can do without giving the military more power than it already has and without further curtailing people’s rights.
But what will ultimately solve this recurring problem is for the government to resolve the roots of the long-running conflicts in Mindanao and other parts of the country by addressing people’s legitimate grievances and yearning for respect and dignity.
We believe that Duterte’s imposition of martial law in Mindanao—just four days after warning that he will do so, and while the entire Philippines is currently under a “state of lawlessness” since September 3, 2016—is merely a pretext or a way of further creating the conditions that will enable him to finally fulfill his promise of imposing dictatorship in the entire country.
Government intelligence failed. The entire operation initiated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to ‘neutralize’ Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon has failed miserably and has led to this crisis. Government officials themselves have been giving confusing and contradictory statements about what has been happening. Some have said that the combatants have been ‘neutralized,’ and that everything is now “under control.” But if so, then why is there still a need to impose full-blown military rule? And why must even the rights of the people of Davao City, Surigao, or Tawi-Tawi have to be clipped?
This, combined with the appointment of so many military generals in Cabinet in recent weeks, gives us strong grounds to believe that President Duterte is only cynically using the suffering of the people of Marawi to do what he has long been itching to do: to follow his “hero,” Ferdinand Marcos, and install himself as a dictator.
We, therefore, call upon the public to also step up our vigilance and resistance. Today’s Martial Law is not qualitatively different from the Martial Law of yesterday. Duterte declared it himself: “Martial law is martial law. … [I]t would not be any different from what President Marcos did. I’d be harsh.”
The Constitution requires that Duterte submit a report justifying his proclamation of martial law to Congress within 48 hours, and that Congress votes to uphold or revoke said proclamation. But seeing that Congress is dominated by Duterte’s followers, pushing Congress to vote against the President may not be enough.
We need to be out there on the streets, organizing workers, students, professionals, farmers, and everyone else to block the return of dictatorship in Mindanao and the rest of the country.
#BLOCKMARCOS! #BLOCKDUTERTE! Harangin ang diktadura! Baguhin ang sistema!
#BlockMarcos movement, 24 May 2017