Pinabulaanan ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang usap-usapang posibleng bahagi ng kaniyang isusulong na “radical change” ang pagdedeklara ng nationwide martial law.
Sa isang panayam ng Pangulo sa Cebu International Airport, sinabi nito na hindi magiging maganda ang epekto sa bansa kung sakaling magdeklara siya ng batas militar kaya’t hindi niya ito gagawin.
“No, martial law is not feasible. It won’t work. First of all, it’s going to be a divided nation so I don’t know if everyone will agree with [that]. I might think of something else.”
“I have declared national emergency already, it’s existing. In other countries, national emergency is equated with martial law. But we have our unique style of handling national emergency.” Ani Pangulong Duterte
“I will deal first with government, I will have to fix the PNP (Philippine National Police). There is so much corruption and then I will deal with the local government, especially the complacency and nonchalant attitude towards the problem of criminality” Pahayag ng Pangulo
Dagdag pa ni Pangulong Duterte, ipinatupad niya ang martial law sa Mindanao dahil sa pangangailangan bunsod ng sitwasyon at ito ay naging epektibo dahil walang umaabusong mga opisyal ng gobyerno gaya ng nangyari nuong panahon ni dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos.
Kaugnay nito, tiniyak ni Pangulong Duterte na hindi mauulit ito sa kaniyang termino.
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