ENRILE, MARTIAL LAW and TRUTH

Philippine news reports say that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile still finds it hard to believe that some quarters continue to claim his ambush on Sept. 22, 1972 was fake.

Enrile said he was ready to appear before an independent commission that would gather the testimonies of martial law survivors so he could confront his detractors and “set things straight once and for all.”

Good development! A Commission to “set things straight” re Martial Law is wise for current and future generations. Enrile should not be allowed to have a monopoly of what historical facts should be known, learned, and believed in the future.

Confrontation should not be limited to, by, and between the Extreme Right represented by Marcos, Ver, and Enrile and the Extreme Left represented by Jose Ma. Sison and company. Most of the victims do not belong to both Extremes.

Thousands of the victims (including members of the media) are still alive and should be allowed to confront Enrile - the Administrator of Martial Law. Some of the Human Rights lawyers led by former Senator Rene Saguisag, Senator Joker Arroyo, and many others are still alive to confront and cross-examine Enrile regarding his role as Martial Law Administrator and as Secretary of Defense during the Dictatorial Regime.

Many of the offenses committed during the period were Crimes Against Humanity and PNoy could therefore invite the participation of International Criminal investigators to hear the testimonies of victims.

There is NO Statute of Limitations for Crimes Against Humanity. COMMAND RESPONSIBILITY is an accepted principle by international and local jurisprudence.

Depending on the evidence gathered, we see the possibility that Enrile and other parties could still be charged before the International Criminal Courts. Or he could actually act as a State witness testifying to the participation of Imelda Marcos and other Marcos cronies for offenses committed and punishable under domestic and international laws.

If it becomes necessary to amend existing laws to compensate victims and to punish the offenders, a law could be passed using the People's Initiative instead of the usual Congress that, I predict, would continue to be composed of Political Dynasties.

EX POST FACTO Laws are allowed by International Criminal Law and jurisprudence if they involve Crimes Against Humanity. We owe this to the Filipino People and to Philippine History!

There was more than just one contrived event to justify the timing of the declaration of Martial Law. Public records and press reports of Enrile’s own words admitting that his ambush was faked was just one. The bombing of the toilets at the Manila Hotel while the Constitutional Convention was being held was another.

The fact is that there were thousands of victims during Martial Law. Offenses committed against them could be considered as Crimes Against Humanity. Like the Yamashita case and the Holocaust cases, the Principle of Command Responsibility could be used to adjudge the leaders that caused the commission of the crimes guilty even if they did not directly participate.

Per his own suggestion and challenge, Enrile’s role during Martial Law, at EDSA, and thereafter should be investigated and looked at for the right perspective and for history’s sake.

At EDSA he was due to be arrested and, according to his own words to the late Cardinal Sin, Marcos and Ver’s forces were coming to kill him.

The fact that Fidel Ramos joined him and People Power at the behest of Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino eventually saved him from the Marco/Ver forces is now part of history. This version portrayed Enrile also as a victim of the Marcos dictatorship. But like the ambush, if Enrile now has a different version, this is the right time to investigate and find out the Whole Truth.

Now that Enrile has a different version and has become a defender and protector of Martial Law being its Administrator, it is safe to claim that he could be as responsible as Marcos and Ver were, for the offenses committed during the dictatorship. An investigation, therefore, is in order. 

Indeed, this turned out to be good news! One of those who had the Command Responsibility, namely Enrile, is still alive and kicking!! It would really be a blessing for the Filipino People to have access to those documents and proofs that he claims he has during the Martial Law regime.

I wonder how any of those documents or proofs could justify the indefinite detention and torture of thousands of Filipinos including heroes Ninoy Aquino, Jose Diokno, members of the media, nuns, priests, students, farmers and many others!

I have to see how the evidence that he supposedly has could justify the raping and torture of women while under detention.

What about those “salvaged” and disappeared forever, never to be found and be seen by their loved ones again?

I told a Facebook friend, “If you were looking for some Divine Intervention on this issue, you just found one.”

Indeed, by the death of Marcos and Ver, the Filipino people were deprived of the Whole Truth and real Justice. Unfortunately, a combination of a corrupt system and officials corrupting and corrupted by it had driven us to this predicament.

Enrile was the third in a triumvirate that administered a dictatorial regime that committed atrocities against the Filipino people and the whole of mankind. He is still alive and willing to be interrogated and cross-examined.

While forgiven for turning against Marcos and Ver to save his life and liberty, he certainly pursued and enjoyed his happiness while Filipinos suffered and continue to do so before his very eyes,

GOD took two of the Unholy Trinity. One is left behind either to be a witness for the People of the Philippines or to be judged by them for his complicity.

The uncovering of Truth will serve us either way. Justice would prevail. History written down, we will cherish the Philippines of today as we did yesterday. We will cherish it tomorrow, as we shall forever!