Military backs Duterte if he places Negros Oriental under martial law

August 2, 2019

The military will support President Rodrigo Duterte if he declares Martial Law in Negros Oriental amid the spate of killing incidents in the province.

"The 3rd Infantry Division under the leadership of Major General Dinoh Dolina will support President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s possible declaration of martial law in Negros Oriental," said Capt. Cenon Pancito, public affairs chief of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.

Pancito said Dolina stressed declaring “martial law is a political decision."

"Your Philippine Army specifically the 3rd Infantry Division is just an implementor should our higher authorities deemed it necessary to stabilize the peace and order situation of Negros Oriental," Dolina said.

"As such we will be ready to support and abide to the President’s decision to whether declare martial law in the province,” he added.

Pancito said in a briefing in Malacanang, "Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo disclosed that the President may declare martial law in Negros Oriental to stop spate of killings and if security officials would recommend it."

"He (Panelo) stressed that President Duterte doesn’t want the killing rampage to continue and the only way to stop this is to use his emergency powers," he said.

Dolina said "the 3rd Infantry Division is one with the clamor of every peace-loving Negrenses to end the violence perpetrated by the CPP-NPA Terrorist that resulted to the unnecessary loss of lives of defenseless civilians".

"The series of killings is just a way of these terrorists to stop the government in its effort of converging the different agencies in the delivery of necessary services to address the issues usually exploited by the NPAs,” Dolina said. Robina Asido/DMS