Sen. Ralph Recto. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto played down on Monday President Rodrigo Duterte’s fresh martial law threats, saying it was just part of his “oratorical repertoire.”
“We should know by now that such theatrical bombast is part of the President’s oratorical repertoire,” Recto said in a statement.
“His bluster should be likened to a dog that always barks but seldom bites.”
Recto said Duterte’s remarks about martial law should be filed under his “outlandish threats,” citing the President’s previous pronouncements that he would ride a jet ski to Spratly islands, and that he would feed the fish of Manila Bay with bodies of salvage victims.
On Saturday, the President renewed his threat of declaring martial law should the drug problem become “very virulent.”
READ: Martial law eyed in war on drugs
The minority leader saw no basis for martial law declaration.
“There is no basis to declare martial law. Rebellion has been tamed. No foreign army is steaming towards our shores to invade us. And as the President himself likes to brag, crime is down and the people are safe in their homes and communities,” Recto said.
“And as to the real enemies of the people – joblessness, hunger, poor social services – these cannot by suppressed by the armed forces,” he added.
Recto also hit Duterte’s assertion that no one could stop him from declaring martial law, saying such claim had no legal leg to stand.
“The Constitution, which the President had sworn to uphold in his oath of office, empowers Congress to revoke it, to cite one of many safeguards,” he said.
“It is also subject to Supreme Court review, and if to last more than 60 days, to congressional concurrence,” the senator added.
Besides, Recto said, a martial law declaration would only show that the country is unstable, contrary to what it was trying to project.
“The problems we face today do not require the calling in of the army. We do not burn the house down to kill a few rats,” he said. CBB
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