MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will study tomorrow the possible lifting of her declaration of the state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and General Santos City last month as the peace and order situation in these areas seem to be improving with the arrest of key suspects in the massacre of 57 people and the reported rebellion by the Ampatuan clan.
Mrs. Arroyo declared a state of emergency a day after the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre and imposed martial law in the province on Dec. 4 after authorities said the Ampatuans, who are suspects in the killings, were about to stage a rebellion. The declaration of martial law was lifted a week later.
Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the President will preside over a Cabinet meeting in Baguio where the Maguindanao situation will be discussed.
“We will have a situationer on Maguindanao where we can discuss the possibility of whether we maintain the state of emergency or if there is already enough reason to lift the state of emergency in Maguindanao, especially if it is a recommendation coming from the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and the defense department,” Bello said.
He said the Cabinet cluster on national security will tackle various security issues including latest developments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in connection with the massacre.
Among the items to be taken up are situation in the ARMM, including the “normalization of local government functions, status of legal cases (on rebellion and multiple murder), and the overall peace and order and security situation,” he said.
By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star
Updated December 28, 2009 12:00 AM
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