MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to increase government forces in four areas will not lead to a nationwide martial law, assured the Department of National Defense.
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana shrugged off the allegation of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison that Memorandum Order 32 was a preparation for the formal declaration of the military rule across the country.
“Si Sison, gumagawa lang ng storya iyan para mapansin siya,” Lorenzana said. “Wala na kasing pumapansin e, mula nang matigil ang peace talks sa Norway, naging irrelevant na iyan.”
“So ngawa-ngawa siya diyan para mapansin siya ng gobyerno. Guni-guni niya lang iyong (order) ay prelude sa nationwide martial law,” the Defense secretary added.
Sison told CNN Philippines on Saturday that the President was preparing for a nationwide martial law when he ordered the deployment of additional police officers and soldiers to Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Bicol, and Samar.
“Memorandum Order No. 32 is actually a declaration of state of national emergency. It comes close to the expected declaration of martial law nationwide,” Sison said.
“As far as lawless violence is concerned, it is actually being committed by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police) by following the orders of Duterte to commit extrajudicial killings,” he said.
“It is Duterte and his armed minions who are responsible for the nationwide lawless violence to prepare the way for martial law nationwide,” the CPP founder added.
In Memorandum Order 32 Duterte said he wanted to “suppress lawless violence and acts of terror” in the areas where he wanted to send additional troops.
“There is a need to reinforce the directive of the President to prevent loss of innocent lives and destruction of property, and bring the whole country back to a state of complete normalcy as quick as possible,” stated the order./PN
