Congress resumes joint session on Maguindanao martial law
MANILA, Philippines - Congress resumed its joint session on Thursday to deliberate on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, National Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, National Police chief Director-General Jesus Verzosa, and Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado were present to explain the basis of Proclamation No. 1959.
Ibrado and Gonzales were absent during the first day of the joint session Wednesday.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said 14 senators were listed to interpellate the resource persons - Senators Francis Pangilinan, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Alan Cayetano, Richard Gordon, Manuel Villar, Rodolfo Biazon, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal, Manuel Roxas II, Edgardo Angara, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero and Loren Legarda.
Pangilinan was the first to interpellate.
The first 3 to ask questions, on the part of the House of Representatives, were Makati City 1st district Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., Deputy Speaker for Visayas Raul del Mar and Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales.
"We don't expect to finish it today because of the number of senators and congressmen who would like to ask questions,' House Speaker Prospero Nograles said at a press conference before the session.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, meanwhile, delivered a fiery speech.
"In the event that we will suspend and we are not finished, we will resume at 4 p.m. Monday and probably Tuesday. But as we see, we have consumed only five hours of the 20, so maybe we may have to go up to Monday," Nograles said.
Under the rules, each chamber has 10 hours to interpellate the resource persons before they vote whether or not to revoke the proclamation which declared martial law and suspended the privilege of writ of habeas corpus in most parts of Maguindanao.
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Prevail
The truth will remain evasive and the numbers game will prevail. This is just waste of taxpayers money but since it is part of the process as the Philippines is a democratic country......I'll just enjoy watching and listen to their interesting and sometimes controversial interpellations.
"The Conspiracy Manipulation's Harassment"
In my intellectual interest idea.Martial Law is an overwhelming Harassment that could manipulate the rights and responsibility of the accused subject and that could possibly hide thy Conspiracy's hidden GUN RUNNING Smuggling in the power of Martial Law's Conspiracy Manipulation.Exactly fit based in the condemnatory stated truths utterances of evidences that the High Powered weapons could possibly used for ABU SAYYAF supplied weapons.Yet,the stated weapons has each serial no.of the Government.So,It was possibly neglected as the weapons for another issues of manipulation threats for rebellions or for Rivalry's Brutality multiple counts of Murder Massacre Manipulation Plotting through Crab Mentality.All i can say,That this government will show no mercy in the condemnatory stated truths that will be revise for another issues hidden ponders Quest of the manipulators scums.I Hope and Pray that May the next President will Condemn for truths and for Fair Justices that will always prevail in the meaning of Democracy....Thanks!
No to martial law
It's a wrong move that Cebuanos choose Gloria as President. A lot of her decisions are wrong.