Martial law to rid gov’t of corruption? That’s ‘admission of failure,’ says Carpio

Former Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. INQUIRER file photo / EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — Declaring martial law to eradicate corruption in the government is a “total admission of failure,” former Supreme Court associate justice Antonio Carpio said Wednesday.

Carpio made the remark after President Rodrigo Duterte, in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA), suggested that his successor should declare martial law if he or she wants to reform the government and rid it of corruption.

“It’s not a justification and that’s an admission of failure because under the Constitution, you cannot declare martial law because of corruption,” Carpio said in an online forum.

“We have the Ombudsman, we have the Department of Justice to go after corrupt people in the government. It’s really an admission because remember when he campaigned for the presidency, he said he can eliminate corruption in the government in six months and later on he said it is impossible to eliminate corruption,” he added.

Duterte made the suggestion as he claimed that nobody could eradicate corruption across the bureaucracy.

However, under the 1987 Constitution, the President may only proclaim martial law in case of foreign invasion and rebellion when public safety requires it.

“Now he is saying we have to abolish the Constitution, declare martial law to remove corruption in government, I think that was not what he promised to the Filipino people. It’s an admission of failure, total failure,” Carpio said.

JPV