abs-cbnNEWS.com | 12/06/2009 11:21 AM

MANILA – Nacionalista Party senatorial bet Adel Tamano has branded as an “outrage” President Arroyo’s decision to put the province of Maguindanao under martial law.

Tamano, who is a Muslim himself, said that steps on solving the Maguindanao massacre should have been done within legalities.

“While all Filipinos, Mindanaoans especially, want swift justice against the monsters who committed the massacre, it must be done within the bounds of law,” Tamano said in a statement.

He added that although the incident in Maguindanao will need speedy resolution, the current situation does not warrant the need for a martial rule.

“The lack of actual - not merely possible or imminent - rebellion shows the illegality of the declaration,” he said.

“The Maguindanao massacre was an outrage but you do not solve it by committing an outrage on the rights of Mindanaoans, specifically those of Muslim Mindanao, by declaring unconstitutional martial law,” he added.

Tamano said Mindanao has suffered much when the whole country was placed under martial law in the ‘70s. Now that the same rule has been applied to Maguindanao, he said the people of the province will suffer the same fate.

"Majority of Maguindanaons who were the victims themselves of the warlords - who were created by this administration - will now have to suffer the yoke of martial law."

President Arroyo imposed martial law on Maguindanao late on Friday in an effort to rein in the Ampatuan family, a clan that until the massacre had ruled the province with the backing of the ruling coalition.

Clan members are accused of being behind the massacre of a rival politician's relatives, as well as journalists and other civilians.

One clan member, Andal Ampatuan Jr, was detained shortly after the killings and charged with 25 counts of murder.

Police allege he and 100 members of an Ampatuan militia shot dead the occupants of a convoy that included female relatives of his rival for the post of governor in next year's elections, as well as a group of journalists.

Andal Ampatuan Sr, the clan patriarch, has been governor of Maguindanao since 2001, and like other members of his family had a private army that the government alleges was involved in the rebellion.

Ampatuan Sr was among 5 clan members detained on Saturday after martial law was declared.

Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said the Ampatuans will be charged with rebellion.

She said the rebellion charges would be on top of murder cases being prepared against them over the November 23 massacre.

A total of 32 people were taken into custody during Saturday's raids, including 20 militiamen who were found in a warehouse belonging to Ampatuan Jr that contained 340,000 rounds of ammunition for M16 assault rifles. -With a report from Agence France-Presse
as of 12/06/2009 6:49 PM