Palace on martial law: Have no fear

There is no reason to fear that President Duterte will declare martial law, Malacañang assured the people on Thursday.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Mr. Duterte wants to accomplish all his plans for the country without resorting to authoritarian rule.

Abella was reacting to concerns raised by a remark the President made in response to a letter from Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“There is no need to worry about martial law. As President Duterte said, ‘I want to make specific changes without having to do martial law,’” Abella said in a press briefing.

Mr. Duterte had mentioned martial law as he raged against Sereno, who in the letter had expressed concern about a possible constitutional crisis after the President linked several judges to illegal drugs.

Sereno said only the Supreme Court could discipline members of the judiciary.

“Please don’t order me around, I’m not a fool. If this continues, with you trying to stop me, I might lose my cool, or would you rather that I declare martial law?” a fuming President had said on Tuesday in reply to Sereno, as he addressed a division of Philippine Army soldiers.

The President’s chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, on Thursday defended his own previous day’s explanation that martial law may be warranted if the drug menace escalated.

His explanation had drawn flak, particularly from Senate President Franklin Drilon, who pointed out that under the 1987 Constitution, martial law may be declared only in case of invasion or rebellion, or when the public safety requires it.

Panelo said the operative provision was “when public safety requires it.”

He clarified that what he meant was the country’s situation was “akin to an invasion or rebellion because the public safety is imminently in danger.”

“Therefore, we cannot be chained into literally reading the constitutional provision as it expresses itself, like invasion or rebellion,” he told reporters.

Panelo said people must look at whether or not the situation requires a declaration of martial law because the safety of the country is at stake.

The Constitution must not be read superficially, he added, pointing out there had been instances when the high tribunal did not read the Constitution literally.

“Mr. Drilon, this is the Duterte Constitution, which is actually the 1987 Constitution. Read it with depth, not superficially,” he said.

Abella also noted that the emergency powers being sought in the Senate for President Duterte would not be absolute but would be limited only to traffic matters.

“We can trust that the President will not go beyond [this],” he said.