President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s allies Saturday supported the decision to lift martial law in Maguindanao, the same way they supported its declaration last week.

House Speaker Prospero Nograles said he felt relieved after Malacañang announced that Proclamation 1959 was lifted at 9 p.m. Saturday.

“I feel relieved because we don’t have to go through the motion of having to vote for it and having to argue on it, and I think this lifting of the martial law in Maguindanao is good,” Nograles said.

“Thank God, it is lifted. I am also glad because we spent five to six hours sitting down in the podium, we are tired already,” he added.

Nograles said the lifting of the proclamation would mean that the government “took swift action and they were able to suppress lawless violence and the impending rebellion and put together the mechanism for the government to function again.”

The Speaker noted that because of the martial law declaration, the government was able to “immobilize all the militia armed forces there, we recovered high-powered rifles and ammunitions, and cases have been filed, all signs leading to normalcy are already there.”

House Deputy Speaker Simeon A. Datumanong also welcomed the lifting of the state of martial law in Maguindanao, saying it was the President’s prerogative.

Datumanong, the representative for the second district of Maguindanao, said that with the martial rule now behind, the people who evacuated may now return to resume their livelihood activities.

“I think the President feels that the objective for Presidential Proclamation 1959 has been attained,” said the Moro legislator, one of those many legislators – including senators – who opposed the Maguindanao martial rule and called for its lifting.

“It is enough that the state of emergency remains with the Armed Forces to suppress lawless violence,” Datumanong added. He said Congress's two chambers have no more PP 1959 to vote on.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, a member of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD, meanwhile, dismissed speculations that Proclamation 1959 was lifted to preempt the possible outcome of the historic joint session of Congress to tackle martial law.

“It only shows that its objective has already been achieved after the Ampatuans were arrested and armaments have been confiscated,” Barzaga said, referring to the suspects of the November 23 “Maguindanao massacre” that claimed the lives of 57 people, including 30 journalists.

Barzaga said Congress was poised to uphold the declaration had it not been lifted by Mrs. Arroyo. “The consensus of the majority is that the martial law is necessary,” he said.

Even the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives welcomed the lifting of martial law.

“This is a most welcome development,” said House Deputy Minority Leader and Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez. “That was my penultimate question and appeal during my interpellation: Since the government has achieved 90 percent of their martial law goals, why not lift martial law already?”

“It spares Congress and the people the agony and divisiveness of debate,” Golez added.

More questions than answers

But Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño, a member of the so-called “progressive bloc” in the House, said Malacañang’s latest move raised more questions than answers.

“The announced lifting of Proclamation 1959 makes this experiment with martial law curiouser and curiouser. I wonder what the basis for the lifting is,” Casiño said.

“Are they now saying the rebellion that has yet to be seen and heard will be quelled come 9 p.m. tonight (Saturday night)? While the earlier lifting of the martial law the better, this surely raises more questions on the basis or need for martial law in the first place.”

The congressman for Maguindanao's first district, Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, also welcomed the President's lifting of martial law.

“I welcome this development,” said Dilangalen, who had a verbal tussle with Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. in the hearing on martial law in Congress last week.

Like Datumanong, Dilangalen has no objection to the state of emergency the President imposed just after the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people – journalists, passing motorists, and the wife and relatives of Buluan, Maguindanao, Vice Mayor Datu Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.

“But I hope the President will not lift the state of emergency in our area,” said Dilangalen.