MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has insisted that there is no need to declare martial law in Negros Oriental if the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already assured that the situation in the province is already under control.
The CHR issued the statement after Malacañang opened the possibility of placing the province under martial rule following a spate of killings blamed that were blamed on both state forces and the communist New People’s Army.
“A recent statement from the Philippine National Police (PNP) assures that the situation is under control even without extraordinary measures being applied. We hold that this puts to rest the need to declare martial law or any emergency power,” CHR Spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said in a statement on Friday.
“What we are trying to avoid is the normalization of measures reserved for extraordinary cases concerning national safety,” she added.
READ: CHR: Negros Oriental killings should not lead to martial law
On Thursday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo — who is also President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal consultant — said the declaration of martial law is one of the options given by the 1987 Constitution in case of lawless violence or national emergencies.
In a speech later that day, Duterte said he will do something ‘drastic’ to counter the violence in Negros Oriental. However, he did not mention what that specific measure will be.
“I will explain in the coming days. But I’m about to do something drastic. It will not sit well with everybody, maybe including you, but it is needed,” Duterte said during the anniversary of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
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The spate of killings in Negros Oriental left more than 14 people dead, including farmers, a lawyer, children, and even police officers.
Authorities blamed the NPA for the killings. The NPA, although admitting that it was behind an ambush that left four police officers dead, has blamed law enforcement units and paramilitary groups for the other killings.
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CHR said that at least 21 have been killed in Negros Oriental, based on their own data. De Guia added that teams have been deployed to investigate the issue.
“As such, we take note of the recent government efforts stepping up the investigations in the Negros island. Investigators from CHR coming both from its central and regional offices have been deployed to Negros to investigate these killings,” De Guia noted.
“Every motive is being pursued, especially that allegations of the government and communist rebels being accountable for the executions are being floated,” she explained.
She also requested that the PNP allow CHR officers to investigate freely, to serve justice for the victims’ relatives.
“In the end, the final determination of the truth behind these cases can be ferreted out through an objective investigation,” De Guia added. /muf