De facto ‘military junta’

Giving way to a “military junta” is one of the most repeated lines in the many extemporaneous remarks of President Rodrigo Duterte. It is sort of a favorite harangue of President Duterte to his most rabid political foes who are – to him – plotting to wrest the power of the government by hook or by crook.

President Duterte would always joke about his stepping aside and giving way to a “military junta” if any of the Generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the Philippine National Police (PNP) want to take over the reins of the government. The President justified his willingness to give way to a “military junta” if only to ensure there would be no violent government takeover and bloodbath.

“I would even be the one to administer the oaths of office of everybody in the military junta,” the President would repeatedly dare. The former Davao City Mayor would reiterate in the same vein it was destiny that the Filipino voters elected him to become the country’s President.

The President’s frequent allusions in the past to give way to a “military junta” was part of his usual rhetoric in the past amid threats to remove him from office through impeachment. However, the Chief Executive survived unscathed the first ever impeachment complaint filed by a former military rebel now Magdalo party list Rep. Gary Alejano. It was “killed” last May 15 by Duterte’s allies that comprised the “super majority” in the 17th Congress.

Now enjoying one-year immunity from impeachment suit, it seems the “military junta” joke is now upon President Duterte.

 Invoking his powers under the country’s 1987 Constitution, President Duterte imposed martial law all over Mindanao. One month before he marks his first year into office at Malacañang Palace, President Duterte faces the Maute rebellion in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur. President Duterte described the Maute as the most “formidable” armed foes now openly challenging his government.

This, after the Maute group laid siege in Marawi City last Monday, May 22, in retaliation to the military offensive against their brother extremist Isnilon Hapilon leader of the Abu Sayyaf terror bandits. The Maute group took over and burned down establishments, decapitated a policeman they chanced upon at a checkpoint, killed non-combatants and hold civilians as hostages while they laid mayhem around the capital city of Lanao Sur.

 Showing their true colors, the Maute bandits flew the flags of the dreaded Muslim extremists group of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) known for decapitating their hostage victims. Both the Maute and Abu Sayyaf have claimed connection with the ISIS but which the AFP merely dismissed in the past.

But now, no less than their Commander-in-chief tells us the ISIS are already here in the Philippines. President Duterte submitted in his report to the 17th Congress that the Maute and the Abu Sayyaf groups have shown their “clear intention to establish an Islamic State” in Mindanao.

The presence of ISIS elements from Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, at least six of these foreigners, were confirmed among those killed during the first four days of the martial law in Mindanao. The AFP has been doing “clearing operations” to flush out Maute bandits still holed up around Marawi City.

The Maute rebellion remains confined for now in Marawi City. Based on the 2015 census, 90 percent of a little more than 200,000 residents of Marawi City are Muslims. Yet, most of them are caught in the middle of IS-inspired Maute aggression while the Islamic world started observing their month-long holy Ramadhan period.

Now entering its second week, the AFP vows to complete their “clearing operations” at the soonest time to pave the lifting of the martial law before six months – the period under the President’s proclamation.

The Marawi siege erupted last Monday just a few hours after President Duterte and his official delegation flew to Moscow for his four-day state visit to Russia. The presidential entourage included 16 of 23 Cabinet officials led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, retired General and now Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and ex-AFP chief of staff and now National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. Also part of the secondary presidential party in Moscow were AFP chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año and PNP director-general Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

It was only a day after President Duterte flew from Davao City for Moscow that the Palace designated Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Benjamin Diokno and newly appointed Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu as co-heads of the “caretaker” committee.

President Duterte reposed Cimatu and Diokno as Palace gatekeepers during his planned six-day foreign travel. However, as fate would have it, the Marawi siege prompted President Duterte to cut short his Moscow visit and stopover “private time” at the United Arab Emirates.

Cimatu, erstwhile AFP chief of staff, is the newest member of his Cabinet who was appointed only last May 8. President Duterte was likewise supposed to appoint Año to his Cabinet. Año is groomed to become Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) this June 2. But Año is scheduled to retire only in October this year.

In his arrival press conference in Manila last Wednesday, President Duterte announced he decided to keep Año as AFP chief of staff. The President disclosed Año, who flew back with him that day, might even be extended as AFP chief of staff to enable him to oversee the implementation of his martial law for the next six months.

The President reminded Año the constitutional precept of civilian supremacy over the military during martial law. Obviously still reeling from his 13-hour chartered flight from Moscow, the President told Año he would report directly to Cimatu as martial law administrator.

Perhaps at the back of the President’s mind was his Defense Secretary who is the immediate superior of the AFP chief of staff. But Lorenzana was left behind in Moscow to sign bilateral defense cooperation agreements with his Russian counterpart. Now back from Moscow, Lorenzana is the martial law administrator.

To his credit, the 72-year old President flew to nearby Iligan City as close as he can to the battle site last Friday. The President, along with Lorenzana, Año, Esperon, Cimatu, complete the de facto “military junta” now in charge of subjugating this Maute rebellion.