Damn if you do, damn if you don't

With regard to the Maguindanao dehumanizing carnage, President Gloria Arroyo has found herself in an untenable bind; a typical knotty enigma of damn if you do, damn if you don’t, or the other way around.

The nation and the world got shocked silly, as in bombed outright, by the Ampatuan demonic bestiality on the 57 victims, and wanted GMA to waste no time in summarily slamming the perpetrators… Had them arrested pronto, not coddle them like "untouchables" by just sending a Palace emissary, as if lionizing the "devil" on bended knees, or just to genuflect before the guilty as hell.

Such reaction might be extra-radical; but then, how else would a spineless monomaniac and his co-principal hotheads who engineered such most heinous massacre, be handled? It’s still obvious that the belatedly jailed Andal Ampatuan, Jr., as a "suspect" remains snooty, egocentric, and unrepentant. He’s bereft of a passable IQ that like his "kalug" personality, he believes that people could be taken in by his remonstrations of innocence, even given the overwhelming truth.

Given this situation, GMA was castigated and lampooned by an angry nation for her kid gloves handling of the Ampatuans. Even just the absence of handcuffs when brought by helicopter to Manila enraged further the TV viewers. To them, GMA was damned too soft in extending Ampatuan, Jr. the respect not due him, and their warlord clan.

To the grieving nation who felt the monstrous cruelty to the 57 victims as their very own, GMA acted as if beholden for past favors; and that, the politics-inspired "RIDO" between the Mangudadatus and the Ampatuans could just be a Romeo-and-Juliet romantic feud, which the Ampatuans have over-blown beyond sane proportions… In short, GMA’s belated initial reaction was perceived as too little, and too late.

Then came the unearthing of weapons and ammo in various underground sites which the AFP estimates as enough to arm a brigade or two battalions. The Ampatuans are not ordinarily endowed with something between their ears… When they had their 429 or so private army of CVOs and CAFGUs surrender only their old single-bolt Remingtons, Garands, and Carbines, they misjudged that the military could be taken in by such foolish ploy. Thus, this led to further searches for modern and sophisticated high-powered guns that the Ampatuans’ close-in security and CVOs used to brandish in public.

The burning issue now centers on PGMA’s Proclamation 1959 declaring Maguindanao under martial law, pursuant to Section 18, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution, and suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, and even the implementation of warrantless arrest, searches, and seizures.

What is ultimately awaited is the Supreme Court action on the petition assailing the Proclamation 1959 by some civil libertarian lawyers. In fact, former presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Estrada as well as ex-Speaker Jose de Venecia, and most senators also have publicly come out with contra opinions vis-à-vis the martial law edict.

The administration has strongly contended that there have been sufficient legal grounds and necessity of martial law. Apparently, aside from the allegedly "brewing rebellion" among the Ampatuan followers, the discovery of the underground caches of assorted arms and ammo for two battalions, supports the factual basis of Proc. 1959. On the other hand, petitioners argue that there is no factual or actual ground to declare martial law, as there is no "invasion" to speak of and, there is no "rebellion". So-called "brewing rebellion" is self-evident enough that there is no fact of rebellion as yet.

Whatever be the resolution of the joint session of Congress on Proclamation 1959 still being deliberated as of this writing, one thing sticks out prominently, that PGMA could self-commiserate that she is being pilloried both ways, that is, damn if you do, damn if you don’t.