Marawi

Sen. Bam: Joint session is Congress’ duty

Sen. Bam Aquino insisted that convening a joint session is a duty of Congress and a means to promote welfare of the Filipino people by enlightening them about details behind the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.

 “It is part of our constitutional requirement and important for the public to be able to listen for themselves kung ano ang sasabihin ng security managers,” said Sen. Bam during Tuesday night’s discussion on the minority group’s Senate Resolution 390, which urges Congress to hold a joint session on the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.

“During a joint session, iyong ibang pinag-usapan natin during an executive session, kung bakit nagdeklara ng Martial Law, kung ano ang plano at kung hanggang kailan ang hangganan, puwede iyong marinig ng taumbayan,” said Sen. Bam.

 As representatives of the people, Sen. Bam said it is the duty of lawmakers to inform the public details of important issues affecting their lives and the country.

 “The people need to know what it is we also know as much as possible, without breaching any national security matter,” the senator said, adding that Congress must follow its constitutional mandate whatever the outcome of the vote.

 In an earlier interview, Sen. Bam emphasized that a joint session will give security managers a chance to enlighten the public about the situation and address misinformation and fake news circulating online at the same time.

“The people are contradicting each other. Agencies are contradicting each other in terms of facts and in terms of what’s really happening. We need to hear it straight from the security managers,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

 Nine senators voted in favor of the resolution while 12 voted against it. Aside from Sen. Bam, those who voted in favor were Sens. Franklin Drilon, Chiz Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Grace Poe, Ralph Recto and Antonio Trillanes.

Those who voted against it were Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Richard Gordon, Gregorio Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Manny Pacquiao, Tito Sotto, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

Sen. Bam: No shortcuts, call joint session

A senator called on his fellow lawmakers to avoid shortcuts and follow the Constitution by calling a joint session to tackle the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.

“Ang AFP, ayaw natin mag-shortcut, ang PNP ayaw nating mag-shortcut. Bakit tayo mag-so-short cut?” said Sen. Bam Aquino during the minority bloc’s press conference discussing their resolution urging the Senate to call for a joint session.

 “Hindi tayo puwedeng mag-shortcut. Iyong mga shortcut, ito ang nagdudulot ng masasamang bagay sa bansa natin,” he added.

 Under the Constitution, Sen. Bam also stressed that Congress is mandated to call a joint session, based on the precedent during former president Gloria Arroyo’s declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao in 2009.

 “A joint session is needed so that people can hear for themselves what the security managers were able to brief to us,” Sen. Bam said in an earlier television interview Tuesday.

 The senator said a joint session will give security managers a chance to enlighten the public about the situation and address misinformation and fake news circulating online at the same time.

“The people are contradicting each other. Agencies are contradicting each other in terms of facts and in terms of what’s really happening. We need to hear it straight from the security managers,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

 Sen. Bam said the security managers assured that normalcy in Marawi City will be restored in the next few days but it is crucial for the “people to hear that themselves”.

 During the briefing, Sen. Bam got the assurance from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that it will uphold human rights while Mindanao is under Martial Law.

 Despite the AFP’s assurance, Sen. Bam underscored the need for vigilance against any abuse that might occur until normalcy returns to the area, which the AFP committed to achieve in the following days.

Once the government quells the threats in Marawi, Sen. Bam said the government must lift Martial Law immediately and focus on restoring normalcy and developing in the area.

Sen. Bam on the situation in Marawi and the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao

(transcript of media interview)

Currently kailangan natin suportahan ang AFP sa lahat ng kanilang operations. On going pa po ang operations. Hindi pa po natatapos. That should be foremost. Yun yung pinakamahalaga that we support our troops sa kanilang pagsugpo sa lawless elements na ‘to.

Pangalawa, siguraduhin po natin na ang mga kababayan natin sa lugar, ay matulungan at mabigyan ng proteksyon. Sa pagkakaalam ko po, madami nang nage-evacuate ngayon at kailangan po nila ng tulong at pagkalinga mula sa gobyerno at mula sa iba’t iba pang mga grupo.

On his recent trip to Marawi

Actually, I was there nung Friday at nagbukas kami ng 508th Negosyo Center in Marawi. the first negosyo center in ARMM. Everybody was so hopeful na yung pagtulak ng pagnenegosyo, trabaho, could really lead to peace. Kaya talagang heartbreaking itong nangyayari na to.

Yung mga kasama namin na military, mga kasama namin na negosyante at local government officials, lahat nagsabi na itong pagtulak ng mas magagandang trabaho, mas magandang pagnenegosyo sa mga kapatid nating Muslim, will eventually lead to peace. So itong nangyayari ngayon, it’s really heartbreaking. Because the people there, want peace, want progress. Gusto nila ng magandang buhay para sa kanilang lugar.

Instead, ang nakukuha po nila, ay isang battle zone na hindi po tama at dapat po maitigil na.

Eto pong move of declaring Martial Law in Mindanao, meron naman pong constitutional processes dyan and we hope that these constitutional processes would be followed.

There’s a report that needs to be given to Senate and Congress and then meron pag sangayon o pag tutol po dyan na mangyayari. Right now we’re hearing reports from the AFP na under control na po yung situation. So kailangan nating i-assess ang lahat ng yun sa ating determination about Martial Law.

Q. Walang common stand ang minority, particularly LP dito sa declaration ng Martial Law?

Right now I think ang pinakamahalaga is masuportahan natin yung troops at matulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan. We don’t want to get into something political habang tuloy tuloy yung putukan.

At the end of the day, we have a constitutional process. Meron po tayong proseso sa ating constitution. Yung Martial Law po na dineclare nung 70s, iba na po yung Martial Law ngayon because meron na pong checks and balances na nakalaan sa ating constitution.

Yung mga karapatang pantao, di po yan nawawala, di po nawawala ang civilian courts, hindi po nasu-suspend ang writ of habeas corpus ng basta basta. We have a constitutional mandate.

But again, right now, yung pinakamahalaga po ngayon, ay matigil na tong firefighting, masugpo yung ating lawless elements at maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan.

I think before we get into politics, before we get into this legal ramifications, yun yung pinaka mahalaga at this point.

Yung atin pong mga kababayan dun, we’ve heard reports na mga eskwelahan, mga religious places ang tinatamaan. And people are in fear. Di sila makalabas sa kanilang mga bahay. We need to make sure that our countrymen are protected. Yun yung pangunahin po sa lahat at sinusportahan po natin ang ating armed forces.

Q. Okay ba na buong Mindanao for 60 days?

We want to know the reason for that. There have been news reports left and right but there will be an official reason once the report is provided to Congress and the Senate. Gusto po nating malaman kung bakit ganun yung scope. Gusto rin ho natin malaman kung ano po yung plano nila sa dami ng araw na ide-declare po ang Martial Law.

Again, it’s a little too soon in fact, I’m not even sure if the president is here already. Kung wala pa siya dito, so maga-assessment pa po yan. Magkaka-security briefing pa yan at magkaka-report.

Hopefully, by the time that he arrives, tapos na po yung situation. Because again, the AFP has said that they’re continuously gaining ground. As of this morning, nagsalita po ang AFP social media account na under control na po, may iilang lugar na lang na may sporadic gunfire. We’re hoping that in a few hours, masasabi po natin na ligtas na po ang Marawi at ligtas na po ang Lanao del Sur.

Ang reports po namin ay nage-evacuate na yung mga tao. There is a massive movement already happening. This can be checked. At palagay ko ang mahalaga nakaabang po ang gobyerno natin na tulungan sila. Kung meron pong lumilikas dahil po sa karahasan, dapat po handa ang gobyerno na tulungan sila at palagay ko naman gagawin naman yan.

So at this point, sila po yung pinakamahalaga. Mahalaga po na matigil yung putukan, mahalaga na ang AFP po natin masuportahan at mahalaga po na mabigyan ng tamang ayuda ang ating mga kababayan.

Sen. Bam: Set politics aside, ensure safety and welfare of civilians in Marawi City

Let’s put politics in the backburner and focus on ensuring the safety and welfare of civilians in Marawi City amid the conflict between government forces and Maute group. 

Sen. Bam Aquino made this call as he reiterated his support behind the military as it tries to quell the terrorist group and restore normalcy in the city.

“Right now, ang pinakamahalaga po ngayon ay matigil na itong bakbakan, masugpo ang teroristang grupo at maprotektahan ang ating mga kababayan,” said Sen. Bam when asked about the declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao.

 Last week, Sen. Bam was in Marawi City to open the 508th Negosyo Center in the country and the first in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

 “Everybody was so hopeful na ang pagtulak ng pagnenegosyo at trabaho, could really lead to peace. Kaya talagang heartbreaking itong nangyayarin ito,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam said the military, businessmen and local government officials all agreed that strengthening business opportunities to our Muslim brothers will lead to peace.

 “Iyong mga kasama namin na militar, negosyante at local government officials, lahat nagsabi na ang pagtutulak ng mas magagandang trabaho at pagkakataong magnegosyo sa mga kapatid nating Muslim will eventually lead to peace,” said Sen. Bam.

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