Statement of Senator Noynoy Aquino on PGMA's Lifting of Martial Law
and the Absence of Officials Concerned in the Senate Hearing
on the Maguindanao Massacre

The Palace would have us believe that there are "gains" from the declaration of Martial Law, that suspects have been identified and rounded up, that huge quantities of firearms have been uncovered and that unexplained wealth have been discovered.

What they fail to admit is that all of these could have and should have been done even without the declaration of Martial Law. We must continue to hold accountable the President, who has deprived Congress of its constitutional mandate to exercise oversight and to provide guidelines for the correct exercise of the President's powers.

We can break the cycle of electoral violence in Maguindanao and in many parts of the country by first searching for the truth. However, when the Senate began its investigation on the Maguindanao massacre this morning, none of the concerned agencies, except for the PNP, was represented. Is the absence of the DILG secretary, the DOJ secretary and the AFP Chief of Staff an indication of this administration's refusal to reveal whatever unholy alliance it may have with the Ampatuans?

Genuine peace and justice can only be achieved by the restoration of our democratic institutions and the strict enforcement of the rule of law. The process cannot begin if those who are responsible are unwilling participants in the quest for truth.