Martial law is out of the equation to address the issue of order amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.
Nograles made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to order the arrest of individuals who will cause chaos amid the measures taken by the government to stem the spread of the disease.
“Is martial law an option? Hindi natin pinag-uusapan ang martial law,”he said during a virtual press briefing on Thursday.
“In a state of calamity, there has to be order kaya importante kay Pangulong Duterte that we maintain order especially in this time of crisis. Hindi po papayag ang gobyerno na may manggugulo at may magti-take advantage sa situation na po ito,” he explained.
Nograles stressed that Duterte’s order to arrest individuals including leftist groups amid the health crisis is not a prelude to martial rule.
However, the IATF spokesperson pointed out that maintaining peace and order is a must during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Hindi po pwede at hindi po papayag ang gobyerno na may manggugulo po at magtetake advantage sa situation na ito. Habang nangangamba ang buhay at kalusugan at kaligtasan ng ating mga kababayan ay guguluhin pa ang sitwasyon,” he said.
He said the health crisis will become a “peace and order issue” when unscrupulous people take advantage of the situation.
“It’s already a public health issue. Hahaluan ng peace and order, magkakaproblema tayo. So, let it just remain to be a public health issue and concern, which we are currently managing. Don’t let it be a peace and order problem,” Nograles said.
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