Philippine president Duterte may declare nationwide martial law next week, defence chief says
Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly threatened to impose martial law across the country, but not given a specific time frame
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte may declare nationwide martial law if threatened protests by communists and other leftists against his rule turn violent or disrupt the country, his defence chief said Friday.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana emphasised he believed it was very unlikely martial law would be declared, but said the president was worried about threatened “massive” protests by the left.
“He said, if the left will try to have a massive protest, start fires on the streets, they will disrupt the country, then I might (declare martial law),” Lorenzana told reporters, recounting a conversation with Duterte this week.
“In my opinion, in my estimate the possibility of this happening is very remote. But the president is indeed very concerned because it might get out of hand.
So he said: ‘I might declare martial law’.”
The comments fuelled concerns by critics that Duterte was dragging the Philippines back into authoritarian rule while waging a deadly war on drugs, three decades after a famous “People Power” revolution overthrew dictator Ferdinand Marcos.