Duterte may declare martial law in Negros Oriental over killings
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 10:35:19 +0000
Malacañang said yesterday President Duterte may place Negros Oriental under martial law to put an end to the killings supposedly carried out by members of the New People’s Army.
Duterte said in a speech Wednesday that he will not hesitate to use his emergency powers to quell the lawless violence in the province as well as to crush all forms of threats aimed to destroy the government.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Duterte might make the decision on which constitutionally granted emergency powers he will exercise to address the lawless violence in Negros Oriental.
“From his speech last night, it appears to be soon. Because according to him, the unrest there has become widespread,” he said. “Grabe na yung patayan doon. We have a village, or a barangay captain, a municipal mayor, four policemen, and a lawyer. The President doesn’t want this to happen. He wants it stopped and the only way to do that is to use his emergency powers,” he added.
Panelo said the communist rebels have exploited the land unrest and turned the province into a quasi-state. “They have arbitrarily chosen who will own the lands subject of the controversies surrounding them,” he said. (Argyll Geducos)