PGMA Martial Law: Revoke or not

Congress commenced its joint session (Senate and House of Representatives) last Wednesday to deliberate on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of martial law in Maguindanao province. Said session was continued today (Thursday) and probably till next week until law makers have said their piece. The proclamation of martial law in effect suspended the privilege of writ of habeas corpus in most parts of Maguindanao.

I have heard several speeches and commentaries on radio and personally I am enlightened with the logical reasoning of some. The said “Maguindanao (Ampatuan’s) Massacre was indeed gruesome, brutal and other words that can describe evilness to the highest level. Everyone is claiming that they are seeking justice for the victims and I hardly pray that they could give it to them.
The declaration of martial law gives the law enforcers free hand to do what they believed to be done with no difficulty to gather evidences and catch the perpetrators the soonest possible time. In doing so justice will be serve at once. On the other hand, I understood the points of those who comprehend the law and the possible loopholes for opposing or favoring the revocation of such declaration. They fear beforehand that during the trial it will not be 57 (or more depending on the outcome) counts of murder that these suspects will be trialed for but a case of rebellion. The sentence for rebellion would only mean a life sentence but for 57 counts of murder the sentence would have been 57 lifetimes.

The members of the Senate and House of Representatives must really scrutinize the prons and cons of this declaration before they handed down the verdict (revoke or not) so that justice will be served to the victims.