Duterte martial law ‘threat’ just exaggeration—political analyst

Pres Rodrigo Roa Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

No reason to fear.

That was the reaction of political analyst Prof. Clarita Carlos after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to declare martial law should the Supreme Court impede his anti-drug campaign.

In an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM on Wednesday, Carlos said that Duterte’s pronouncement should be seen as an “exaggeration” on how he proves his points.

“Salita lang niya yan, masanay na tayo sa kaniya (That’s just how he talks, we should get used to him), he exaggerates to express his points,” said Carlos.

READ: Duterte defies Supreme Court

She said that to push for the septuagenarian President to change the way he delivers his statements would be futile, and that the public should just get used to the way Duterte speaks.

“Tulungan na lang natin (Let’s just help him)… He is 71-years-old, hindi na magbabago ang tema ng kaniyang pananalita (we can no longer change how he speaks),” the professor said.

READ: Palace on martial law threat: It was just a rhetorical question

Carlos also described the exchanges between Duterte and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as mere “verbal fireworks,” adding that the word war between the two personalities would not result to a Constitutional crisis.

In his remarks before the military in Cagayan de Oro City on Tuesday, Duterte slammed Sereno for asking judges allegedly linked to illegal drugs from reporting to the police.

Sereno, in a letter to the President, said that “it would matter greatly to our sense of constitutional order” if the high court is given a free hand to investigate and discipline members of the judiciary.

“I’m giving you a warning. Don’t create a crisis because I will order everybody in the executive department not to honor you,” Duterte told Sereno.

“Please do not, you say, create a constitutional issue. There will be. Don’t order me, I’m telling you. I hope you are listening.”

“You want me to be frank? You’re interfering (with my job)… Please, don’t order me. I’m not a fool. If this continues, (that) you’re trying to stop me, I might lose my cool. Or would you rather I declare martial law?” he said.

A day after the President’s “threat,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that Duterte only posed a rhetorical question.

“The President merely asked a rhetorical question and said it under the context that his anti-drug campaign cannot wait for the slow wheels of justice – PH style,” Martin Andanar said in a statement. IDL

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