Congress joint session closes

The historic joint session to deliberate on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of martial law over Maguindanao province convened at 4:10 p.m. on Monday. Since martial law was lifted last Saturday, the session is expected to close today.
From the many empty seats, both at the gallery and on the congressional floor, it seems the historic joint session will end with a whimper. I can imagine all those who died during Marcos’ martial law turning in their graves. Will blog this last day of the joint session.

Why were there no judges in Cotabato city? One was killed, the other two were on hadj

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen explains why there were no judges in Cotabato City. Branch 15 has been vacant since the judge there was murdered, and there was no one recommended by the Judicial and Bar council to replace him. The other two judges, of branches 13 and 14, were in Saudi Arabia on hadj, with the permission of the Supreme Court.
Acting Secretary Justice Agnes Devanadera simply said she didn’t know about that. Senator Joker Arroyo now speaking. Dilangalen said he had more questions, but he had been told that 52 congressmen had lined up to ask questions.

AFP admits: the guns of the Ampatuans could have come from gov’t itself

Under questioning from Sen. Benigno Aquino III, vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang gives three reasons for the high powered firearms found in possession of the Ampatuan clan and their the supporters in Maguindanao: they were bought legally, they were acquired illegally, or they could have been given by government at a time when the Ampatuans and their supporters were waging the government’s war against the separatist rebels in Mindanao.
The following are notes, and incomplete.
Noy is Senator Aquino, Deva is Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, Puno is Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno.

PNP operations director Andres Caro reports on the Ampatuan massacre

Police Director for Operations Andres Caro reports before the joint session on the Ampatuan massacre that happened on November 23, 2009.

He said: All in all there were 57 victims in said incident of which 22 were found unburied, 24, six and five were exhumed from grave site one, two, three. There were 36 males, 21 females and also of total, 32 were media personalities and 7 were Mangudadatu family members. 21 cafgus on duty during the incident at a nearby detachment in Bgy Salman, Ampatuan were taken into custody by investigators for questioning.

Does it look like martial law was the topic in this joint session?

Session was temporarily suspended and both senators and House representatives hobnobbed with each other. If there was tension on the floor, it was not something that could be felt from the gallery.

Locsin, accusing Dilangalen of forum shopping, tells him to go to SM instead

Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. accuses Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen of forum shopping, saying he has filed a case at the Supreme Court and at the same time wanted to question Arroyo over the martial law proclamation. Incensed, Dilangalen says the statement was “preposterous” and asks that Locsin be declared out of order.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles says Dilangalen, as a “member of this House,” has every right to speak. Dilangalen, meanwhile, corrects Locsin for accusing him of forum shopping, saying the term meant filing several cases, and would not apply to the situation in the House.

Session is temporarily suspended.

Why is the president not here? Dilangalen asks.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, and Interior and Local Secretary Ronaldo Puno are present. Armed Forces chief Victor Ibrado and Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales are missing: Nograles explains that Ibrado was due to arrive from China at 4 p.m. while Nograles is in Singapore and will be available for tomorrow’s joint session.

Senator Richard Gordon asks why the two are absent from the joint session. If they could leave the country, he says, then maybe there is really no need to declare martial law at all.
Maguindanao Rep. Dilangalen asks why the President is not here. He expected her, he said, to explain in person the reasons why martial law was declared in his province.
Nograles says the President has “substantially complied” with the requirements of the Constitution by submitting a report in writing. According to the Congressional rules, he adds, the only two persons who were required to attend and who were not present were Ibrado and Gonzales.

Joint Session of Congress

At 4:12 p.m., the joint session of congress opened to deliberate on president gloria macapagal arroyo’s proclamation 1959, placing maguindanao province over martial rule. 18 senators were present. 192 members of the House of Representatives were present.
The senators will occupy the first two rows in the session hall. A part of the gallery was also reserved for Senators’ staff.
Palace officials, led by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, will explain the basis for the declaration of martial law. Under the newly-crafted rules, the House of Representatives and the Senate will have 10 hours each to interpellate.
In an earlier press conference, House Speaker Nograles said he would like to stretch the interpellation into four session days, at about five hours each.