Archbishop Palma not opposed to martial law but…

FILE – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma

CEBU CITY – Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma has nothing against the imposition of martial law in Mindanao as the firefight between government troops and Maute terror groups in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur continues.

Archbishop Palma said he also requested the Cebu Caritas to gather donations from the different parishes and religious organizations to be sent to Marawi City even as the Catholic Church continues to pray for peace in Mindanao.

“We always mobilize the Caritas to extend help to victims of the event that is going on in Mindanao,” he said.

Speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon, the 67-year-old prelate said he relies on the position of Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo who recently stressed that there were no “solid and sufficient facts to absolutely reject the declaration of martial law” although he emphasized that it must be temporary.

“We rely more on the assessment and evaluation of people who lived there. And no less than Cardinal Quevedo, being from Mindanao, made a pastoral statement approving the martial law in Mindanao, and I respect that very much and share his sentiments,” he said in an interview after he presided over the Requiem Mass for Cebuano Monsignor Alfeo Manalili at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

But Palma clarified that the martial law must be confined in Mindanao and must not be extended to the Visayas region.

“On a personal note, I would not really want that the martial law be extended to the Visayas. It think it is too premature to do that. Here in Cebu and many parts of the Visayas, there is no such imminent danger. To extend it to the Visayas may not be appropriate,” he said.

While martial law is in effect in Mindanao, Palma urged  law enforcers to always uphold human rights even as they tried to keep peace and order in the region.

“There are always possibilities (of human rights abuses). But we just hope and trust that both the government authorities as well as the people may cooperate so that human rights will always be respected within the realms of the law, whether in time of martial law or not,” he said.

Last May 23, President Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao as government troops go after members of the Maute terror group that took over Marawi City.

So far,  61 Maute extremists, 20 government troops and 19 civilians were killed during the armed encounter in Marawi, said Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Edgar Arevalo in an interview on DZMM on Monday morning.

President Duterte said he may also declare martial law in Visayas and Luzon to stop terrorists from sowing violence in other parts of the country.