Joint session hears martial law report

By BEN R. ROSARIO

Despite a bid by congressional leaders to evade debates, the joint session of Congress started off yesterday with arguments initiated by lawmakers who questioned the nonappearance of government officials, including that of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Senators Mar Roxas and Richard Gordon assailed no-shows on the part of Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales and AFP chief of staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, who were out of the country when the joint session started at exactly 4:10 p.m. yesterday.

Meanwhile, Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, a relative of the Ampatuans, debated heatedly with Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin in connection with the former’s demand for Arroyo’s presence before the joint session that was convened to allow Congress to review the declaration of martial law over Maguindanao province.

A total of 18 senators and 192 congressmen responded to the roll call, thus, indicating a quorum.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Prospero Nograles called the resource persons shortly after the rules were adopted by the body, but Ibrado and Gonzales were conspicuously not in attendance.

Present during yesterday’s joint session were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, and PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa.

The rules state that the presence of Ibrado and Gonzales is mandatory.

Speaker Prospero Nograles said Ibrado was due to arrive from China by 4 p.m. yesterday.

On the other hand, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Gonzales had also requested to be excused because he was still in Singapore to confer with Ambassador Rafael Seguis in connection with the resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Gordon and Roxas slammed the non-appearance as a demonstration of discourtesy towards Congress which is a co-equal branch of the government.

“I’m dismayed na parang binabalewala ang Kongreso at mahina ang rason kung bakit dapat ipagpatuloy ang martial law,” Gordon declared.

On the other hand, congressmen ignored efforts of Congress leaders to swiftly reach a decision on the martial law declaration when they engaged in a debate over the non-appearance of Arroyo.

The rules give each chamber a maximum of 10 hours to grill the resource persons invited and 10 minutes each for the proponent and the oppositor of a motion to revoke Proclamation 1959.

Dilangalen, who earlier filed a Supreme Court petition seeking revocation of Presidential Proclamation 1959 which proclaimed martial law in Maguindanao, chided Arroyo for having
“no courtesy at all of reporting to us in person.”

“Only Congressman (Simeon) Datumanong and I could really experience what it is to be representing an area in this country that is affected by martial law. The President may not consider this (joint session) as very important to her,” said Dilangalen.

Apparently irked over Dilangalen’s remarks, Locsin rose to criticize the Maguindanao lawmaker for “forum shopping” since he already had asked the High Court to revoke the martial law proclamation.

“He (Dilangalen) does not believe he has a chance to get it (revocation) from the Supreme Court. This is forum shopping, since this is Christmas, I suggest he should go shopping in SM,” Locsin said.

Angered by Locsin’s remarks, Dilangalen demanded that Locsin be declared out of order.

The exchange prompted both Enrile and Nograles to declare a recess that lasted over 30 minutes. Session resumed at 5:46 p.m. with Locsin apologizing to Dilangalen and the PNP presenting its report about the Maguindanao situation.

The joint session of Congress was still ongoing as of press time last night.

161 gunmen identified

By AARON B. RECUENCO and ALI MACABALANG

The Philippine National Police (PNP) released Wednesday the names and photos of the more than 100 gunmen involved in the November 23 massacre of 57 journalists and civilians in Maguindanao, with a top police official saying they will offer rewards to expedite their arrest.

PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa said the identification of an additional 100 suspects, based on the testimonies of the policemen and Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVO) members who are now under custody, brought the number of suspects who took part in the carnage to 161.

“We have already recommended the filing of 51 counts of murder against 61 people; we will include this additional 100 to the referral that will be submitted to the Department of Justice through the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group,” Verzosa said.

Of the 61 already included in the complaint sheet, most remain at large.

Of the 100 CVO suspects named Wednesday, Verzosa said 68 are assigned to Datu Unsay town where Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is the mayor, 17 from Shariff Aguak town where Anwar Ampatuan is the mayor, 11 from Mamasapano town where Bahnarin Ampatuan is mayor, three from Datu Saudi and one from the town of Sanki.

“Don't mistake them as all members of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP because they are in fatigue uniforms. They are using these uniforms while giving security and being used as private armed groups to the municipalities as mentioned there,” said Verzosa.

Verzosa said they will offer reward money for each of the 100 wanted CVOs in exchange for any information that could lead to their arrests.

“We will be meeting immediately since this is the first time we came to know of the 100 CVOs and total of 161 for all suspects. We will announce it (the reward amount) at least tomorrow (Thursday),” said Verzosa.

CIDG Director Raul Castañeda said they have two witnesses claiming that they actually saw Andal Jr. firing at all the victims, adding that he was the one leading the shooting spree.

When some of the victims spotted the shooting of some of their companions, investigators said some of the journalists jumped off the vehicle. It was then that they were shot by other CVOs.

Verzosa said there were indications that there was a conspiracy in the massacre, adding that the group of Andal Jr. had been waiting for the Mangudadatu convoy days before the brutal slays.

Meanwhile, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Vice Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong yesterday urged authorities to treat fairly the ARMM bureaucracy, especially its funding support from the national government, which some legislators suspected of being allegedly used by recipient officials for nefarious activities.

“We appeal for the kind consideration of higher authorities like our senators and congressmen to please spare the ARMM budget from undue freezing or delay in its release,” Adiong told the Manila Bulletin.
Adiong made the appeal after members of the two chambers of Congress and local executives batted on Tuesday for an audit and possible freeze of the ARMM budget amid suspicions that part of it was possibly used by the beleaguered Ampatuan family in building its private army.

Congress has allocated the ARMM bureaucracy with a little over P10 billion for this year and next year. More than 60 percent of the budget is allocated for salaries and benefits of the ARMM personnel, including thousands of public school mentors scattered across the component provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and Marawi City, regional planning officials said.

Adiong, whom Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno has designated as successor of arrested ARMM Gov. Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, said any delay or cut in the allocation of the regional appropriation would not only disenfranchise workers but also aggravate the anxiety obtaining in the region.

Prior to his arrest last Saturday, ARMM Gov. Ampatuan was required by Puno to submit financial reports on the regional government’s expenditures in the last quarter of 2008 and first three quarters of this year.

Adiong, who is concurrent regional DILG secretary, said his office would comply with the required audit.

“We will see to it that every penny in the ARMM budget would be spent to its legal purpose in order top uplift the living condition of the regional populace,” he said.

Adiong is a scion of Lanao del Sur’s Adiong and Alonto political families that are known for untarnished track record in public service and for their peaceful governmental managements.

Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar, whose province belongs to the ARMM, said they are contented with the way funds are being disbursed.

Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, whose province is also under ARMM, admitted he had no idea about the annual budget of the autonomous region, but confirmed the province is receiving funds nonetheless from the ARMM.

“This (funds probe) would be a very good opportunity for Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno to put into perspective the situation in Mindanao,” Tan said.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Alonto-Adiong Jr., elder brother of the regional vice governor, also said his province has been receiving its “fair share” of the ARMM funds.