Nothing to fear about martial law, PNP assures

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Law-abiding citizens have no reason to fear martial law, the Philippine National Police (PNP) assured after President Rodrigo Duterte placed the whole of Mindanao under military rule while one of its cities are being attacked by the Maute group.

“There is nothing to fear. Primarily, the objective and goal is for the benefit of people in Mindanao, particularly in Marawi,” PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said in a news conference on Thursday.

READ: Maute Group, Abus fire on military camp in Marawi

In fact, the purpose of Duterte in declaring martial rule is to protect the people from the enemy, the police official reiterated.

If he were to give his personal opinion, Carlos said martial rule under Duterte will be very much different from the time of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, “that’s why people have nothing to fear.”

“It is to protect them from this terror group na walang pakundanang pumapatay ng mga Pilipino (that discriminately kills Filipinos),” Carlos said.

Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao following clashes between government forces and Maute bandits, who pledged allegiance to the international terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS). The President ordered martial law to last for 60 days until the military and police are able to contain the terror group in Marawi City.

The President also suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao, which would allow the police to arrest people without warrants.

Duterte, however, said earlier that martial law in Mindanao under his administration would not be different from martial rule under the late strongman, which was marred by human rights abuses, torture and state-sponsored killings. JPV/rga

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