Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond “Mong” Palatino today challenged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to face the public and give a detailed and comprehensive report on the situation in Maguindanao and her reasons for declaring Martial Law in the area.

“How convenient that now that the Pandora’s Box has been opened, the President flies off to New York. Arroyo’s mysterious absence from public eye since the Maguindanao massacre took place seems to show that she cannot look at the people straight in the eye at this time of intense political crisis,” Palatino said.

The young oppoistion solon added, “It is her responsibility to explain in clear and categorical terms the situation in Maguindanao. She had the guts to declare martial law but continues to relinquish the difficult task of explaining to her cabinet members and apologists. This declaration of martial law should be explained by the President herself, we demand no less.”

“Filipinos, especially our democracy-loving youths, demand from the President an accurate report on the Maguindanao massacre and Martial law declaration, not one that is very obviously haphazardly and sloppily done. Mukhang hindi ginawa ang assignment nang maayos. Kumbaga sa term paper, singko ito, bagsak,” he said.

Palatino criticized the President’s report to Congress on Proclamation 1959.

“Arroyo did not even cite a proper source and resorted to citing ‘duly verified information’ to implicate the Ampatuans. The report was glittered with adjectives and adverbs to justify her proclamation of martial law instead of providing new and pertinent data,” Palatino said.

The 20-page paper, Palatino said, was mostly littered with photos, with a significant bulk merely re-printing the declarations per se. “The people expect and deserve a more insightful report than this,” he said.

Palatino said, “We call on the President to appear before Congress when it holds a joint session tomorrow to discuss whether to revoke Proclamation 1959 or not. Surely, Congress cannot just base its decision on an erroneous 20-page report that deserves a failing mark.” ###