Press Release
September 23, 2008

ROXAS: EO 739 OPERATIONALIZES AUTHORITARIAN REGIME? LIBERAL PARTY SWEARS NOT TO ALLOW MARTIAL LAW TO RETURN

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas called on the government today to come clean on its intentions for reorganizing the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) under Executive Order 739, saying it is a way to "operationalize" an authoritarian regime.

He said all Liberal Party members in the country and their allies have vowed to never allow the comeback of Martial Law in the country, and to fight and question all "totalitarian tendencies" being shown by the existing government.

"Nakakabahala ang E.O. na ito dahil sa napakaraming ispekulasyon na magkakaroon muli ng Martial Law o isang authoritarian regime sa ating bansa. Dahil nakikita natin na itong E.O. ay isang pamamaraan para i-operationalize ito," he said in the sidelines of a Democracy Forum on "The Lingering Specter of Martial Law" held by LP on Tuesday.

"Sa hanay po ng Partido Liberal at ng lahat na ka-alyado namin, hinding-hindi kami papayag na babalik dito sa ating bansa ang Martial Law. Ang Partido Liberal, maninindigan at gagawin ang lahat para sa sa demokrasya, para ang libertad ang siyang umiral dito sa atin," Roxas said in his opening remarks in the same forum.

Roxas explained that through the reorganized NPOC, the National Government is then enabled to go directly to the regional police and military units and short-circuits the existing chain of command that goes through elected civilian authority.

"This operationalizes the national reach of the peace and order and security units away from civilian authority and more directly towards military or police personnel that are stationed over the country. Mayroon na talaga kasing sistema ng orders para sa mga pulis, na dumadaan sa civilian hierarchy sa pamamagitan ng mga halal na opisyal. Dito sa NPOC, rekta na sa mga military at police commanders," he said.

He also said that while this NPOC is similar in structure with the National Security Council (NSC), the latter is headed by the President while the former is headed by the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, who is not an elected official.

Roxas said that the reorganization of the NPOC is only one of the signs that show the government's "totalitarian tendencies."

"Sa kabila ng mga pronouncements ng gobyerno na uusad na ang laban nila sa mga komunista at secessionist, bakit nagkaroon pa ng pangangailangan para sa NPOC? Sinasabi nila na ang communist threat ay nagiging 'banditry' na lang at wala nang ideological o moral basis at physical resources. Bakit ngayon, kailangan ng isang malawak at makapangyarihang NPOC?" he said.

"Nakikita natin unti-unti ang mga nakababahalang senyales. Halimbawa na yung militarization ng mga ahensiya ng gobyerno, kung saan mga dating heneral ang inilalagay kahit sa mga ahensiyang nangangailangan ng expertise ng mga nasa pribadong sektor," he said.

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