Manila: The Duterte administration has no plans to enforce martial law in Luzon and the Visayas, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana clarified.
During the hearing on Saturday wherein senators and congressmen had overwhelmingly approved the extension of martial law in Mindanao, Lorenzana was asked by Senator Francis Pangilinan if the government plans to extend the coverage of the presidential proclamation.
In the joint Senate-Congress hearing on martial law, opposition Senator Francis Pangilinan was asking Lorenzana why the government did not see the need to declare martial law in Bohol when the Central Visayas island was attacked by the Abu Sayyaf last April.
“That will not happen (martial law declaration in Visayas),” Lorenzana said.
As defence secretary, Lorenzana is authorised under the Constitution to serve as martial law administrator.
During martial law certain rights and liberties of individuals, such as the writ of habeas corpus, which protects against arbitrary arrests, are suspended with the end in view of restoring peace and order. Duterte had declared martial rule in Mindanao May 23 amid an uprising by Daesh-influenced members of the Dawlah Islamiyah Lanao (DIL), commonly referred to as the Maute Group and an Abu Sayyaf faction under Isnilon Hapilon.
Under the rules governing the declaration of martial law, the President has the sole authority to declare such extreme measure; however, the effectivity of such pronouncement is limited to 60 days after which he has to seek another mandate from Congress to extend its effectivity.
In the extension given by Congress last Saturday, Duterte has until December 31 to take measures to confront the DIL-Abu Sayyaf problem as well as corollary concerns such as the drug problem in the Southern main island of Mindanao.
Government experts had said that the problem of extremism (DIL-Abu Sayyaf) is closely interlinked with drugs as radical groups partly source funds for their activities from illegal activities such as drug distribution.
Presidential address
Meanwhile in Metro Manila, security forces are on the alert as President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in suburban Quezon City.
Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista said classes in all levels in certain parts of the city where militants are expected to hold protest actions, are cancelled.
Armed Forces public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said Sunday that thousands of military personnel will augment some 6,000 policemen, including anti-riot and crowd dispersal units, during the event.
Duterte is expected to report on the accomplishments of his one-year-old administration before senators and congressmen during the occasion.
SONA occasions in the past had been marred by violence as left-wing protesters force their way to areas near where the address is being delivered by the President at the Batasan.
