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Senate has no plan to revoke martial law in Mindanao—Villar
Sen. Cynthia Villar on Thursday said that she did not see any plans in the Senate to revoke Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao noting that majority of the senators support him. (PNA photo)
MANILA—Sen. Cynthia Villar on Thursday said that she did not see any plans in the Senate to revoke Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao noting that majority of the senators support him.
“I don’t think there’s some move to revoke it, they (senators) want to know what’s happening,” Villar said in a TV interview.
Villar expressed support for Pres. Rodrigo Duterte noting that the Senate is merely asking the executive office to give them “a briefing” on the situation in Mindanao.
“…On Monday we’re asking the Office of the President to give us a briefing on what’s happening in Mindanao. Whoever the President will send to us on Monday. We will have a caucus and we will hear the report,” she added.
The senator, meanwhile, allayed fears that Pres. Duterte would eventually declare martial law in Visayas and Luzon after the President floated the idea upon his arrival in Manila from his state visit to Russia.
“I think he’s saying that so that these people will think twice about doing something. I think he will limit in in Mindanao,” she further said.
Although supportive of the martial law declaration, Liberal Party president Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that his party did not believe that martial law should be declared in the Visayas or Luzon.
“While there may be isolated terrorist acts in these areas, there exists no Visayas-wide nor a Luzon-wide invasion or rebellion to merit the declaration of martial law as allowed under our constitution,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
Pangilinan said that without any nationwide rebellion or invasion, the LP will vigorously oppose a nationwide martial law declaration.
He further said that declaring martial law is not the only solution to the country’s problems.
Malacañang on Wednesday said Pres. Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao island under martial law for 60 days to suppress terrorist groups from wreaking further havoc in Southern Philippines.
