Martial law in Negros Oriental
If the peace and order situation continues to deteriorate in Negros Oriental, expect President Rodrigo Duterte to put the whole province under martial law in the next few days as a last-ditch effort to curb the rising cases of murders.
On Thursday, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte is seriously entertaining the thought of declaring martial law in Negros Oriental if only to put an end to the violence gripping that Central Visayas province.
According to Panelo, Duterte mentioned the possibility of putting Negros Oriental under military rule in his speech during the anniversary celebration of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency. The president, he added, can summon the military to crush the increasing violence in that province.
These past two weeks, nearly 20 lives have been lost in a spate of murders in the province with most of the killings allegedly attributed to New People’s Army rebels. Some of the victims were policemen, politicians, teachers, and a lawyer.
There’s really no question that it is Duterte’s prerogative to declare martial law in Negros Oriental. The Constitution says the president can put the entire country or any part of it under military rule.
However, many are asking if military rule is the best solution to the worsening peace and order problem in Negros Oriental. That is because such declaration will only create public belief that the situation is getting out of control and that only martial law can quell the growing violence.
Is military rule necessary against the spate of murders and rebel attacks in Negros Oriental? For Duterte and his advisers it is as if this is the only way to restore order across the province, which for decades has been known as an NPA bailiwick.
But the government can of course use full military might against the lawless elements in Negros Oriental without really resorting to putting the province under martial law. With the impending declaration of martial law in Negros Oriental, it seems the government is left with no option in dealing with the violence now rocking the neighboring province.