ILOILO CITY –– Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday said there was yet no need to declare martial law in Negros Oriental based on the current situation in the province.
“As of now, I don’t see the need (for the declaration of Martial Law in Negros Oriental) but we will wait for the recommendation of the (Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police) and the local government. If these three say that ‘please, please declare martial law” then we might,” Lorenza told reporters at the sidelines of the turn over of a regional evacuation center in Zarraga town in Iloilo.
“Until such time that they can show us that there is a need for that, hindi pa siguro (it’s not yet time maybe),” he said.
Lorenzana, a retired Army major general, said martial law could be implemented if there are “chaos and uncontrolled killings.”
“Now the killings have been stopped. I believe the killings are politically motivated more than anything else. The elections have just been held. Maybe there is still (antagonism among political rivals). But let’s see in the coming weeks what will happen,” he said. /lzb