MBC against State of Emergency

27 February 2006 - MBC declares the proclamation of the State of Emergency as contrary to the national interest. It was also an overreaction to events. It is worth noting that this declaration of national emergency came hours after the government had itself announced that all troop movements in the early morning of February 24 were on its authorized orders and that alleged coup leaders were in its own custody. In fact, the government maintained that the situation was "under control" and yet declared the emergency hours later.

The declaration of State of Emergency is reminiscent of the proclamation of Martial Law in 1972. The warrantless arrests, warnings and threats against media appear to be early indicators of a crackdown against voices of dissent. Even government officials, particularly our armed forces and police, have difficulty in distinguishing one call from the other when they interchangeably use the terms Proclamation 1017 (issued by Mrs. Arroyo) with Proclamation 1081 (issued by Mr. Marcos).

Those who welcome Proclamation 1017 should ponder the lessons of history. The Martial Law period resulted in greater poverty, more insurgency, and greater instability in spite of the surface stability it proffered and the initial economic growth it showed. This is the direct result of the curtailment of basic freedoms such as freedom of the press and speech and the right to assembly; the lack of transparency and accountability in government and the crony capitalism it gave birth to; and the human rights abuses it inflicted upon the people.

The problems of the country run deeper than just a few rallies planned to commemorate the 20 th anniversary of People Power. The core problems lie in the lack of transparency and accountability of our political leaders. Our sad state of affairs is the cumulative effect of controversy and cover-up which include the 2004 elections, Hello Garci tapes, and the still unreleased Mayuga Report on military involvement in the elections and selected officers' inclusion in the Hello Garci conversations. It has been compounded by other scandals which remain unanswered and where people have not been called to account for their actions - controversies like the fertilizer scam and the Ombudsman's report on the COMELEC contract for automated counting machines, among others.

Just as we urge the government to immediately revoke Proclamation 1017, we also urge the Armed Forces of the Philippines to continue upholding the Constitution.

Supposedly meant to preserve democracy, the State of Emergency instead threatens freedom. In the final analysis, only the truth can set us free.