No martial law in Negros Oriental, says Duterte

MANILA: President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte assured he would not impose martial law in the violenceprone province of Negros Oriental in the Visayas in Central Philippines where at least 21 people were shot and killed in just 10 days from July 18 to 28.

“There will never be a time when I will declare martial law.. What I said was that I would take drastic action,” Duterte said, referring to fears that he would impose martial law in Negros Oriental amid claims from the military and the police that members of the communist New Peple’s Army (NPA) wsre to blame for the violence.

But, at the same time, government security officers assured they have the situation under control in the province without the president resorting to the use of his emergency powers like martial law.

He pointed out he would not resort to martial law similar to what he did in Mindanao where rebellion existed following the siege on Marawi City in May 2017 by the Abu Sayyaf terroriosts and the Maute Group which pledged allegiance to the Daesh extremists in the Middle East.

“You have a ruckus there in Negros. The drastic action that I would take did not include martial law,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English in his speech ater presiding over the oath-taking of the newly-elected officers of the League of Cities of the Philippines and League of Barangay (village) held at Malacanang Palace on Tuesday.

Among those killed were four police intellilgence agents who were reportedly captured by the NPAS and then subjected to torture and summary execution for which Duterte offered a $100,000 reward for the capture of those involved.

Thisdevelopedassalvadorpanelo,thepresidential spokesman, also said there was no need to declare martial law in Negros Oriental, pointing out that thre wasnoindicationofrebellion.“undertheconstitution, there should be a rebellion. But right now, only killings although unbridled are happening in the province,” said Panelo, also the chief presidential legal counsel.

Besides, the president could use his emergency powers granted him by the Constitution to quell violence in Negros by calling on the Armed Forces of the Philippines, thus sparing him the possibility of resorting to “drastic” action like martial law to address the killings, according to Panelo.

At the same time, General Oscar Allbyalde, the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), assured that the situation in the province “is under control” ater the military and the police intensified security measures amid the killings, including the deployment of more than 300 commandos of an elite police called the Special Action Force unit to Negros.