Prelates warn of martial law, urge end to emergency (Philippines)

[IndianaGreen]

Prelates warn of martial law, urge end to emergency

First posted 08:32am (Mla time) Feb 27, 2006
By Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Christian Esguerra
Inquirer

ILOILO CITY -- The president of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said the proclamation of a state of national emergency by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could result in martial law and lead to abuse.

Reacting to the arrest of opposition and militant leaders and the raid on a newspaper critical of the administration, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Proclamation 1017 "should be short-lived in order that it may not become a source of violations of human rights.

"The proclamation of a state of emergency may be subject to abuse in the hands of lawgivers. And that is what we should be afraid of in the future," Lagdameo told reporters here on Sunday before celebrating Mass at the Iloilo provincial capitol for the Gawad Kalinga housing project of the archdiocese of Jaro.

Another senior Roman Catholic prelate also warned of the downfall of the President in the wake of her controversial declaration of a state of emergency.

"If (Ms Arroyo) and her gang do not show results in the direction of purging all perpetrators of corruption and improving the lot of the poor, this regime will crumble faster and more miserably than the past dictatorship," Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles told the Inquirer in a text message.

http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=1&story_id=67710

[cliss]

1. Martial law?

Things are falling apart very quickly in the Philippines. There are 84 million people in the Philippines. Not nearly enough US troops to help pacify the situation.

I read that the US is "sending 5,500 Marines". That's not nearly enough. That will only be enough troops to protect Ms. Arroyo and her palace, maybe some parts of Manila. But woefully inadequate.

Can Ms. Arroyo call somebody else for help? Maybe Portugal, their old Coloniser.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Spain, not Portugal, was the European colonial power

http://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/history/history.html