House, Senate downplay Duterte threat to declare martial law

January 16, 2017

Leaders of both houses of Congress downplayed fears that President Rodrigo Duterte will declare martial law following his remark in Davao Saturday that he will do it if there is no other way to cope with threats to the country.

The House and Senate, under the 1987 Constitution, will receive a report from the president 48 hours after he declares martial law. They will decide if the period of emergency will be shortened and lengthened.

“I said it before and I’ll say it again: I know him personally and I sincerely believe he will not declare martial law,” House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said in a statement Monday.

Alvarez said he believes Duterte’s remark “is consistent with the Chief Executive’s style of issuing dramatic statements to stress his message.”

“That statement merely shows President Duterte’s resolve end the scourge of illegal drugs in the country,” Alvarez said.

Senate President Koko Pimentel, in an ambush interview by reporters, said: “The statement that the President has the power on his own to declare Martial Law is found in the Constitution and all other safeguards are also found in the Constitution.”

“We are following the Constitution. Don’t worry too much about that legally correct statement of the President," added Pimentel.

Asked about the Pulse Asia survey were seven of 10 Filipinos object to the declaration of martial law, Pimentel said: “That (declaring martial law) is a political decision. He just said he has the power to declare it. That is correct.”

But when quizzed if the drug problem will be enough basis for Duterte to declare martial law, Pimentel side-stepped the question, “That can wait. We will go to the basis later. There isn’t any declaration yet."

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the president’s remarks during the Davao City chamber of commerce event last Saturday was "just an expression of anger from the President.”

“He was exasperated by the continuous illegal drug operations in the country despite intensified efforts by the government," said Aguirre in a text message. "The public and the media should not be surprised and rather be already accustomed to this mindset of the president." DMS