Gloria Arroyo Planned On Declaring Martial Law

HAIL! Hitler Gloria Pandaka. She planned to perpetuate herself in power by silencing dissenters of her bogus regime. Of course, Malacanang spin doctors deny such dubious plan.



ABS-CBN News 11/28/2006

Cruz: Arroyo planned on declaring martial law

President Arroyo considered placing the country under martial law in January but the plan was failed to push through after the United States government warned it would not support the declaration, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said Tuesday.

"I was able to talk with [former defense] Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and he was explicit to me that the United States is of the position that the Philippines should take the course of democracy and republicanism," Cruz told ABS-CBN correspondent Ricky Carandang.

Cruz, a former lawyer of the President, filed his irrevocable resignation and will step down from the defense post on Thursday.

Cruz's statement confirmed information from other ABS-CBN sources that the administration wanted to declare martial law as early as November last year to quell alleged plans of military adventurists to oust Mrs. Arroyo.

The defense chief said: "We cannot talk about [the discussions in the Cabinet] because of the principles of executive privilege."

He, however, added: "What I can tell is that personally and professionally I am against any form of emergency rule."

The supposed plan to declare martial law followed a visit to Manila by John Negroponte, US director of national intelligence.

Negroponte's arrival came as a surprise though both Malacañan and the US embassy in Manila declined to issue statements about the details of the visit.

Former Senate president Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, said he was informed of the plan last December.

"I was informed that there was really a plan to declare martial law on January 15 of this year and therefore I was preparing to take it up in a joint session which the Constitution requires to be held in order to act on a martial law proclamation," Drilon said.

The senator said he was even prepared to bring the matter before the Supreme Court.

But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita denied that the President had wanted to declare martial law.

"That has never been a plan of the President. Wala akong nalalaman (I don't know if such a plan existed)," Ermita said.

He said that Negroponte visited Manila to meet with officials of the US Institute of Peace.