Labor Center challenge leaders of Congress to oppose Martial Law

“This early, we want to hear from Senate President Manuel Villar and House Speaker Jose de Venecia their categorical opposition to any plans of the Arroyo regime to impose Martial Law stemming from situation created by the Glorietta 2 explosion.”

This statement was made today by the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center as speculations increase on the possibility of Arroyo declaring Martial Law as the number of killed in last Friday's explosion in Glorietta 2 Mall in Makati City reached 11 with more than a hundred persons injured and millions in physical damage.

According to news report, Arroyo is planning to hold a full National Security Council Meeting this week to tackle the Glorietta 2 explosion. “Aside from the executive branch, the heads of both Houses, including former President Fidel Ramos are invited. Such a meeting can be a venue to legitimize the declaration of a State of Emergency or other measures similar to Martial Law. Even before they attend the meeting, we want to hear from Hon. Villar and Hon. de Venecia their strong position against any fascist measure,” said Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog, National Chairperson of the KMU.

“The various angles being floated by the regime regarding the Glorietta 2 explosion only add to the suspicion they are hiding something from the public. Despite initial reports that it was leaking liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) which caused the blast, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon declared the pattern of the blast was inconsistent with LPG and that it was a bomb. But when PNP bomb experts found traces of Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), a component in military-grade plastic explosives like C4, they immediately shifted blame to supposed accumulation of methane gas. The C4 angle was dumped by Arroyo since C4 is available only to the military, and with that one can already sense what really happened,” opined Labog.

The labor leader also slammed the turtle-like pace of the investigation and said that it not only aggravates the hurt among the survivors of the victims, many of them ordinary employees, but also raises more questions than it can readily answer.

Labog stressed that any efforts of Arroyo to save her stay in power through an open fascist rule will be foiled by the Filipino people. “The hawks of Arroyo, including National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, will exploit the fear created by the Glorietta 2 incident and use this to justify more iron-fist policies. But such an imposition will only sow the seeds for another people power. We are calling for all freedom-loving people to be vigilant against the further erosion of our civil and political rights,” ended Labog.