MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday asserted that the rise in the killings of local executives would not result in a declaration of martial law over the entire country.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, in a press briefing, said: “No matter how many killings happen, if there is no rebellion or invasion, there is no reason for martial law in the whole Philippines.”
The 1987 Constitution holds that the president may only declare martial law "in case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it."
In a span of a week, three local officials were gunned down. Tanauan City Mayor Antonio Halili was shot dead on Monday last week. A day later, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote was killed in an ambush. The two killings were followed by the ambush of Trece Martires City, Cavite Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan on Saturday.
After the murder of Halili and Bote, opposition lawmakers said the killings indicate that there was a growing "climate of impunity" under President Rodrigo Duterte, an accusation that the Palace denied.
Roque, however, said that despite these killings, placing the entire Philippines under authoritarian rule would not happen.
READ: Destabilization eyed in local execs’ slays
Roque was reacting to a statement by Sen. Francis Pangilinan over the weekend.
“What is going on? Are the deliberate and orchestrated attempts at creating an atmosphere of lawlessness to justify strongman rule?” Pangilinan said in a statement.
The Palace spokesman pointed out that he and Pangilinan are both lawyers.
“He should know that even if there is lawlessness there cannot be a nationwide imposition of martial law," Roque said.
Duterte, in May last year, placed the entire Mindanao under martial law due to the “rebellion” waged by terrorists believed to be linked to the ISIS.
Martial law was extended until the end of 2018.
Roque, in the same press briefing, said that the murders of the local officials might be due to the election season. He said that with the three killings, there is no notable pattern or system that could link them.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also backed Roque's point. In a text message to reporters, Guevarra said: "So far (the) initial findings of the NBI show that the incidents seem to be unrelated."
The justice chief, on Sunday, ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the three killings and determine whether there is a pattern. He also said that one of the angles the NBI is looking into was whether the murders are part of a destabilization plot against the Duterte administration.
— Kristine Joy Patag