Senators Urge Public Not to Take Duterte’s Martial Law Statement Seriously

Senators on Wednesday urged the public not to take seriously the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte that he will declare martial law if Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will continue to interfere in his intensified fight against illegal drugs.

“I don’t think people should be alarmed because when you say we might have martial law in the Philippines, there are effects in the market; there are effects on investors’ decisions. So I think, we should not overplay with what I think what was not meant seriously,” Senator Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara said in a media interview.

Angara said Malacanang explained already that President Duterte was just asking rhetorical question when the President mentioned martial law while reacting to Sereno’s caution to the judges linked to drugs not to follow the President’s order to report to authorities.

“Sinasabi lang niya bilang isang executive, kailangan mabilis ang kilos para kapag hinadlangan siya ng ibang ahensya, siguro yun ang last resort niya. Pero hindi naman ako naniniwala na he will resort to it,” Angara said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said President Duterte’s martial law statement was just a threat.

“His bullheadedness is epic. By now we should be familiar with his antics. Na pagka nag-ano sa media, biglaan, may statements we should take seriously, may iba he should take lightly,” Lacson explained.

Lacson said martial law was not a sole decision of the President.

“It has concurrence already of Congress and it is time-bound, only 60 days. So unless extreme, very compelling reason, not President will declare Martial law. It’s useless,” Lacson said.

“Masanay na lang tayo. Kasi di ba minsan may mga pronouncement siya, we should be able to read between the lines. Hindi lahat na sinasabi ko literal ang interpretation ninyo. Meron siyang mga ganoon. Dapat kayo nakaka-observe niyan,” he advised the media.

Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan agreed with Angara and Lacson, saying “the President may be joking because an order to disobey a legal order or a decision of the Supreme Court is against the Constitution.”

In light of the latest exchange of words between President and Sereno, Pangilinan reiterated his call to convene the Joint Judicial, Executive, and Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JJELACC).

“Instead of this word war between the two branches of government and in response to the spate of extrajudicial killings, we should focus on working together to coordinate efforts at modernizing our judiciary and system of justice,” Pangilinan said.

“The Philippine justice system is antiquated and crying out for reforms. The current situation of extrajudicial killings is really an indictment of the justice system of our country — slow and unresponsive up to a certain degree. That’s why we reiterate our call for the creation of JJELACC,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon appealed to the government leaders “for more rational debate on the issue regarding the government’s aggressive campaign against drugs.”

“Let us debate with facts and reasons. There is no argument that cannot be solved by rational debate. Let reason and civility govern the exchanges of opinions on issues,” Drilon added. (PNA)
RMA/JFM