Former Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada branded the state of lawless violence proclaimed in Memorandum Order No. 32 (“MO 32”) as “fear-mongering,” saying, “the only ‘Lawless Violence’ here is in government and how it is letting Pinoys be butchered by high commodity prices and inflation.”
“I was just in Bicol on the 22nd and the 23rd. The people were inviting; the cities and towns were orderly; the countryside was beautifully serene,” he said. “What was not serene was the 10% inflation in Bicol and the telling absence of NFA Rice from the markets of these provinces. The poor people are hardest-hit. That to me, was the only ‘state of lawless violence’.”
“Memo Order 32 is fear-mongering. The government wants us to feel unsafe when the only thing we have to fear right now is how the economy is being managed. Something is very wrong with inflation, the massacre that is the TRAIN Law implementation, and the short supply of rice. But that is not lawless violence among the people; that is lawless violence in government, as it turns a blind eye and deaf ears to its people.”
“The people of Samar, Bicol, and Negros will suffer even more with this increased militarization, for sure. They are already among the poorest provinces and hardest-hit by inflation. They want the government’s attention and resources to be directed at the real problem—which is inflation and sky-rocketing prices—not at imagined ones.”
Tañada also averred that while MO 32 seems to guarantee constitutional rights, it also bears the “worrisome caveat” of “taking for granted that there will be warrantless arrests and searches.” The senatorial candidate continued: “there is even specific mention of more police/military checkpoints and stop-and-frisk situations.” Checkpoints and stop-and-frisk are exceptions to the rule that searches must be done through a warrant.
“This is asking for trouble; it is not as if the military and the police have the best track record to begin with: they shoot first, ask questions later. Meanwhile, victims have no recourse against these abuses. Even if they get a lawyer, their counsel will simply be dispatched—with extreme prejudice,” he lamented.
Tañada also questioned the issuance of MO 32 through the Executive Secretary, saying it “adds fuel to our gnawing fears about the real state of the health of the President. Is the President not well enough to sign the order himself? He certainly seemed so when he was signing over Filipino interests to China just a day previous.”
Finally, Tañada renewed his call for Congress to review the facts behind the so-called state of lawless violence: “I urge our representatives to listen to us and put our questions to rest. They need to make a definitive finding on the factual bases for MO 32. Make it their Christmas gift.” [END]
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TAÑADA SA MEMORANDUM ORDER 32:
“Ang tanging karahasan ay ang pagpayag ng pamahalaan na patayin ang mga Pinoy sa mataas na presyo at inflation.”
Itinakda ng dating Deputy Speaker na si Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada ang ‘estado ng kriminal na karahasan’ na ipinahayag sa Memorandum Order No. 32 (“MO 32”) bilang “pananakot” at sinabing “ang tanging karahasan ay ang pagpayag ng pamahalaan na patayin ang mga Pinoy sa mataas na presyo at inflation.”
“Nasa Bicol pa lang ako nitong ika-22 at ika-23. Payapa naman at tahimik,” ani Tañada. “Ang tanging bayolente ay ang 10% inflation sa Bicol at ang kawalan ng NFA Rice sa mga palengke. Ang maliliit pa talaga ang pinaka-hirap. Para sa akin, nariyan ang tunay na ‘estado ng kriminal na karahasan’.”
“Ang Memo Order 32 ay nagpapalaganap lamang ng takot para ikubli ang maraming kakulangan ng gobyerno. Gusto ng pamahalaan na matakot tayo para sa ating kaligtasan, pero ang tanging dapat nating katakutan ay kung paano pinamamahalaan ang ekonomiya natin: ang walang-humpay na inflation, ang masaker na bunga ng pagpapa-tupad ng TRAIN Law, at ang kawalan ng suplay ng bigas. Ngunit karahasan iyan na gawa ng mga namamahala, at hindi galing sa mga mamamayan: may gobyerno tayong nagbubulag-bulagan at nagbibingi-bingihan sa mga hinaing ng tao.”
“Tiyak na higit pang magdurusa ang mga taga-Samar, Bicol, at Negros sa militarisasyon sa lugar nila. Sila na nga ang pinakamahihirap na lalawigan at pinaka-kawawa sa inflation. Ang gusto nila ay pansinin naman ng gobyerno ang mga hinaing nila, at matuunan ang problema ng inflation at mataas na presyo, sa halip na pag-aksayahan ng panahon ang mga problemang kathang-isip lang ng administrasyon.”
Pinuna rin ni Tañada na habang ginagarantiyahan ng MO 32 ang mga karapatan sa ilalim ng saligang batas, nakababahala ang pagkakaroon ng arrest ng walang warrant. Patuloy niya: “partikular pang nabanggit ang mga check-point at stop-and-frisk, na mga eksepsiyon sa panuntunan na dapat gawin lamang ang search sa pamamagitan ng isang warrant.”
“Problema ito dahil hindi naman ganoon kaganda ang record ng militar at pulis sa pagkilala sa karapatan natin: mamamaril muna sila, at saka na lang magtatanong. Samantala, walang madudulugan ang mga biktima nitong mga pang-aabuso nila. Kahit na kumuha pa sila ng isang abugado, papatayan rin lang ang abogado.”
Nagtaka rin si Tañada kung bakit ang lumagda sa MO 32 ay ang Executive Secretary sa halip na ang Pangulo, at sinabing “gatong pa iyon sa takot natin tungkol sa tunay na kalagayan ng kalusugan ng Pangulo. Hindi na ba niya kayang pumirma? Bakit pag para sa mga kasunduan sa Tsina nakaya niya?”
Muling nanawagan si Tañada sa Kongreso na suriin ang katotohanan sa likod ng tinatawag na estado ng kriminal na karahasan sa ilalim ng MO 32: “Hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kinatawan na makinig sa atin. Kailangan nilang gumawa ng isang masusing pagsisiyasat sa tunay na basehan ng MO 32. Gawin na lang sana nilang Pamasko.”