The Filipino people should stand up and oppose President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of martial law in Maguindanao because it sets a dangerous precedent for the entire nation, Fr. Felix Pasquin, rector of the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City, said yesterday.

Pasquin appealed to the people to unite and speak in one voice against it at a mass for the 57 victims of the Maguindanao massacre, especially the 30 slain journalists, two of whom were from Negros Occidental, yesterday afternoon.

He said the priests of the Diocese of Bacolod are meeting today and may issue a collective statement on the matter, although he believes many of them share his sentiments.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, who is also opposed to the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao, was unable to attend the mass because of a death in his family that he had to attend to.

Pasquin, speaking to members of the media and Sunday churchgoers numbering about 2,000 at the Cathedral, said while the Church condemns the massacre of the 57 in Maguindanao and sympathizes with their families, martial law is not the solution.

Everyone was surprised that martial law was declared in Maguindanao threatening the clouds in the already darkened skies there, he said.

Martial law can be declared only if there is a threat of invasion and rebellion, which does not exist in Maguindanao, he added.

There is no legal basis for the president to declare martial law, and it is also immoral, Pasquin said. It is an overreaction to the situation in Maguindanao that can be put under control by the police and the judiciary, he said.

“We have had a very bad experience with martial law in the past, and for it to now be placed in the hands of people who have no scruples about their abuse of power makes martial law today a very dangerous instrument,” he said.

Among all the presidents of the Philippines the current president holds the distinction of the one least trusted by the people for the many lies that have been told during her watch, he said.

Former President Ferdinand Marcos before he declared martial law in 1972 had a study conducted. The study then found that the people were lazy about causing trouble, joining causes and would rather go with whoever is on top, which emboldened him to declare martial law, Pasquin said.

It seems the current president is testing the waters with the declaration of martial law to see what the reaction of the people will be, he said.

“While it was declared in an isolated area, we have to remain vigilant lest it escalates,” he said.

Arroyo is a person obsessed and addicted to power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so martial law in her hands is very dangerous, he said.

The Diocese of Bacolod in a statement signed by Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, which was released after the mass yesterday, said the Maguindano massacre “placed our democracy into mockery for the simple reason that such outrageous act was perpetuated due to partisan politics, which obviously has remained in an immature state, only dominated by greed, personal interests and by insatiable lust for domination and savage control.”

Armed groups should not be allowed much less maintained by the government, even in the guise that they are used to help maintain peace and order because time and again, it has been proven that such groups were used by the government as instruments to prevent opposition to its regime as a reward for manipulation of the elections, Navarra added.

Let us stop the cycle of violence, the bishop called.

“Let us not allow the Maguindanao case to be repeated.  Let us join hands together and make our voices heard to exert pressure on the government to demobilize all its sustained armed groups,” Navarra said.

The Alliance for Advancement of People’s Rights (KARAPATAN-Negros) staged a protest in Bacolod City yesterday afternoon to oppose Proclamation 1959 placing Maguindanao under Martial Law.

“While we strongly condemn the brutal massacre and join the families and the Filipino people calling for justice of the innocent victims we cannot allow the treacherous and murderous declaration of Malacañang,” Fred Caña, Karapatan Negros secretary-general, said.

“This declaration is a dry run to a possible declaration of Martial Law in the entire nation; we don’t want that the dark days of the Marcos dictatorship will reign  again,” he said.

The recent declaration of martial law will sow fear among the people in Maguindanao and the rest of the Filipinos, he said.

A media-led multi-sectoral rally against the Maguindanao massacre is set 1 p.m. Wednesday in front  of the Fountain of Justice at the Bacolod City Hall, Edgar Cadagat, president of the Negros Press Club, said.*CPG

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