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Friday, September 30, 2005
Speak out: Prelude to martial law?
By Philippine Alliance of Human Rights
Advocates
There seems to be a symbolism in the recent imposition by the Arroyo government of the calibrated preemptive response (CPR) just after the commemoration of the 33rd year of Martial Law.
CPR shows the Arroyo administration's total disregard of a paramount right: the people’s right to peaceful assembly as stipulated in the Constitution and in the Public Assembly's Act of 1985.
In defending the CPR, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye and some police officials hid behind the argument of "protecting commerce, mobility, jobs, livelihood and the overall peace of mind of the community."
But they should study the law vis-à-vis CPR’s implication to people’s rights.
Or perhaps government is so paranoid as to consider legitimate expressions of grievances as "clear and present danger."
CPR does not only contravene government’s mandate to protect the people and promote their rights but is a breach of government’s commitment to its international obligations.
Indeed, preemptive response must be imposed instead on the government and the police to prevent them from violating people’s rights.
Also, the Manila police should have imposed CPR instead on its rank so incidents like the one that happened last Sept. 26 would be avoided.
In that incident, members of the Kilusan Para sa Demokrasya were violently dispersed, with some of them being arrested and detained.
Or maybe the Manila police get sick if they are not able to use their truncheons on civilians.
The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (Pahra) sees the CPR and related moves by the Arroyo administration as prelude to the formal imposition of martial rule.
But government must not test the peoples' tolerance, for it may one day explode on its face.
(September 30, 2005 issue)
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