Martial law opposers simply distrust GMA

How to get to Guiuan, Eastern Samar, readers asked about Friday’s feature on the tourist town? Two ways. In Metro Manila, hop on the bus in Pasay, Dimasalang or Cubao for a 22-hour ride via Matnog, Sorsogon, and Allen, Northern Samar. Or fly to Tacloban, Leyte, then a three-hour land trip.

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It’s not a fire sale. So says Aileen Zosa, incoming EVP of the Bases Conversion & Development Authority, of its joint venture with private firms to develop a 7.1-hectare prime lot in Fort Bonifacio (Gotcha, 23 Nov. 2009). “It is advantageous to the government”, she says, because:

“For the raw land owned by the National Police Commission and disposed thru BCDA, government stands to benefit P4 billion. Independent appraisers had valued the land in 2008 at P3.2 billion, if it could be sold.

“Megaworld is to give DILG-Napolcom 25,000 square meters of office space in Quezon City, 2,000 more in the developed Bonifacio land, and 600 homes of 50 square meters each in San Juan.

“The land will not be sold to, but co-developed by Megaworld under usufruct. The agreement was signed Aug. 2008 after a public bidding. The government might soon be in default of contract obligations because the Philippine Public Safety College refuses to vacate the premises.”

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Gloria Arroyo dawdled over the Nov. 23 Maguindanao Massacre of mostly women. The International Day to Eliminate Violence on Women passed, and the world raged against her murdering warlord-allies. Only after four days, as Filipinos seethed close to people power revolt, did a Malacañang aide make prime suspect Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. yield. As witnesses implicated more Ampatuans, the Palace donned kid gloves. Arroyo’s spokeswoman-niece sniffed that the President would stay friends with the political dynasts.

But so what? Though pressured to go slow on the heinous criminals, police-military officers proceeded with standard operations. Troops encircled the provincial capitol and Ampatuan family compound in Shariff Aguak. Search warrants were secured and arms caches dug up. Found were guns and ammo, enough to equip a battalion, marked “Department of National Defense” and “Philippine National Police.” Some, like a hi-tech sniper rifle and an armored carrier, had been supplied as US military sales to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Suddenly Arroyo acted. Declaring martial law in the province, she suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Nine Ampatuans were taken in for “looming rebellion.” Yet Filipinos were skeptical. Did Arroyo do it to shield crooked generals who fenced war materiel to warlords, they asked? Is she trying to impress the US, which in disgust had withdrawn economic aid to Maguindanao but not the rest of Mindanao? Is she diverting attention from news that her admin had fed the Ampatuan private army in reward for cheating for her in the 2004 and 2007 elections?

Call it blow hot-blow cold, but people simply suspect Arroyo’s every move. Fifty-two percent distrust her. Seventy-nine percent say they’ll junk her presidential pick in the May balloting. She’s the most hated President since Marcos. All for good reason, since she does all the wrong things. Her latest sin is running for a congressional seat. When critics decried her aim for some parliamentary immunity for corruption during her Presidency and to stay in power via a parliamentary shift, her aides taunt them back. Executive Sec. Ed Ermita said constitutional amending remains Arroyo’s priority. Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez added that upon grabbing Congress majority, they’d impeach any next President who blocks Charter Change.

Resistance to martial law is fierce. Supreme Court vice administrator Midas Marquez disputes the premise that the judiciary was malfunctioning. In fact, a judge from neighboring Sultan Kudarat province had taken over the vacant Branch 15 in Cotabato City because the pairing judge of Branch 14 recused (being an Ampatuan in-law), and that of Branch 13 just returned from Mecca hajj. Branch 15 will hear the multiple murder raps against Andal Jr., but the justice department is petitioning the Supreme Court for transfer of trial to Manila for security. Various cases were proceeding independently: the Kidapawan court, which issued the six search warrants, was preparing to evaluate the resulting complaints of illegal possession of firearms, and would have issued arrest orders for the Ampatuans. The Court of Appeals branch in Cagayan de Oro had granted the Ampatuans a writ of amparo against military siege. The SC was set to hear their petition to declare illegal Arroyo’s earlier order of a state of emergency.

So what was martial law for? Is it a prelude to something bigger?

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Tomorrow, Dec. 8, Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera and Aiza Seguerra give a Christmas charity concert at C’ Italian Dining, Angeles City. A benefit auction coincides, of decors donated by Far East Furniture, Disney figurines by Heinime, and capiz craft by father and son designers Terrence and Daniel Cleak of Kaimana. Proceeds will be for Duyan ni Maria orphanage, which C’ restaurant has been providing daily meals since August.

Duyan ni Maria houses about 60 parentless kids aged 1 to 18. Clark Freeport locator Global Gateway Logistic City is the event’s main sponsor, with Voltaire Zalamea of Events and Concepts as director, and Charmaine Pineda as producer.

Activities start by 6 p.m. with cocktails donated by Edna Diaz of Best Brand Beverages. The P2,500-ticket includes fine dining of C’s original panizza, fennel crusted pork brochette, herb roasted certified angus beef, wood fire baked lemon chicken, risotto orbs with chorizo — whipped up by Chef Chris Locher.

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“Half use of talent can mean half waste of it. A little talent pushed to its limits is a treasure. Great talent not nurtured becomes trash.” Shafts of Light, by Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ, is available in cards: P100 per box of 25. To order, e-mail: [email protected]

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E-mail: [email protected]