Lift state of rebellion, Senate asks Malacañang

The Senate voted yesterday to ask President Arroyo to lift the state of rebellion she declared last weekend to quell the mutiny staged by about 300 disgruntled soldiers.

The vote was prompted by an appeal from opposition Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. who said Mrs. Arroyo’s proclamation of a state of rebellion had already served its purpose after the rebellion was crushed.

Malacañang, however, announced yesterday that the nationwide state of rebellion will remain in force "to tie up loose ends" of the July 27 siege of Makati City, especially to account for civilian participation in the mutiny.

"The proclamation stays. While the formal siege has stopped, we’re still looking at the possible conspirators," Bunye said.

The President yesterday ordered "loyal" government troopers to go after the conspirators in the failed power grab against her administration.

"What is becoming clear at this point," Bunye said, "is that there are civilian elements and their participation took place before, during and probably a little after the July 27 incident. So this participation has to be looked into."

Bunye cited many circumstances "point to wide support from other groups like the presence of supplies ... normally not available to the regular officers and men of the AFP," which were taken from the mutineers.

He noted the possible use of private funding in preparing, putting together and checking into Oakwood some materials used in the mutiny.

"All civilians shown to be involved in this destabilization attempt will be prosecuted," Bunye stressed.

Pimentel, however, said the proclamation, if not lifted, could cause anxiety among the people and scare away investors.

"Who would invest in a country that is fighting a rebellion even if that rebellion has already been quelled?" he asked.

He expressed fears that the proclamation could be used to harass the political opposition.

Pimentel’s colleague Panfilo Lacson said the presidential issuance, if not lifted, would be invoked by the authorities in making "warrantless arrests."

He said it was a similar proclamation that the Arroyo administration used to arrest several opposition leaders without court-issued warrants following the bloody Labor Day protests staged by Estrada loyalists in May 2001.

Lacson and Sen. Gregorio Honasan, who were classmates at the Philippine Military Academy, were among those being hunted then. Linked to the protests, they went into hiding until shortly before the senatorial elections that year, in which they won.

While in hiding, the two brought to the Supreme Court the issue of whether the government can make arrests without court warrants under a state of rebellion.

Lacson said the high tribunal ruled that a proclamation of a state of rebellion does not empower authorities to make warrantless arrests.

He said warrants must be obtained from the courts before law enforcers can arrest any of those suspected of involvement in a rebellion.

Honasan is being linked to last weekend’s Makati siege. The authorities have not revealed whether they have a warrant for his arrest.

Both Lacson and Honasan are presidential aspirants. — With Marichu Villanueva