RICHARD MADELO/Presidential Photo
President Duterte’s latest threat to declare martial law in Mindanao is intended to spur local officials into doing more to combat lawlessness in the region, Malacañang said on Friday.
Speaking to about 300 local officials from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), central and northern Mindanao whom he had called to Davao City, Mr. Duterte on Thursday raised the specter of martial law anew, urging them to work with the police and help him fight terrorism and other forms of violence so that he would not have to resort to extraordinary measures to bring law and order in Mindanao.
Extraordinary powers
Only local officials could “prevent [violence] from spinning out of control,” he said, adding that they had the police under their supervision and the military could be called out to help if necessary.
Mr. Duterte warned the local officials that if they did nothing and the situation got worse, he would be compelled to “exercise extraordinary powers” by declaring martial law in Mindanao.
“Either you help me or I declare martial law tomorrow [in] Mindanao,” he said.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Friday that Mr. Duterte’s remarks underscored “the depth and breadth of lawlessness and violence in Mindanao.”
“By raising the possibility of martial law [on] the island, [the President] is hopeful that local leaders [will] realize the magnitude of the law and order problem, and consequently help his administration fight terrorism, illegal drugs and other forms of violence,” Abella said.
Need for cooperation
For two Mindanao officials, Mr. Duterte’s threat to declare martial law was a “passionate” reminder that cooperation was needed to solve the peace and order problem in the region.
“We need to support the call of the President to end terrorism as soon as possible,” ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said on Friday.
“I believe that if our [local government units, or LGUs] are active in this fight, we can end this problem,” he said.
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said he believed Mr. Duterte was speaking from the heart when he asked Mindanao local officials to help him fight lawlessness on the island.
“If we could stop or eliminate lawlessness, extremism, rebellion, 70 percent of the country’s problems would be solved,” Mangudadatu said.
Senators offered divergent views on Mr. Duterte’s remarks.
No cause for jitters
For Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Mr. Duterte’s comments should not cause jitters.
“No need to be alarmed, because if martial law is declared in Mindanao, that would be based on the need for it, and only in areas [that] need to be put under control to bring back [normality] and a sense of law and order,” Pimentel said.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan warned of the dangers of martial law, which he said did not work during the time of dictator Ferdinand Marcos and “won’t work now.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said he did not believe Mr. Duterte would declare martial law.
“Declaring martial law is like declaring war on the people,” he said. —WITH REPORTS FROM TARRA QUISMUNDO, ALLAN NAWAL AND JUDY QUIROS