DND chief: Expansion of martial law to Luzon, Visayas unnecessary

Defense Secretary Deflin Lorenzana on Saturday said there is no need to expand martial law to cover Luzon and Visayas amid the possible escalation of offensives by the New People’s Army.

Lorenzana said this during the joint session of Congress convened to discuss President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to extend his 60-day martial law proclamation in Mindanao until December 31, 2017.

“Sa unang martial law, hindi kasama ang NPA. Pero kasama sa function namin, without martial law or not, ina-address namin ang problemang binibigay ng NPA,” Lorenzana told Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, who asked about the prospect of martial law being expanded to Visayas.

“Concern natin na ang NPA ay kumikilos sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao. Kung ito ay magiging operational directive, ang ibig sabihin ba darating ang panahon na pwedeng magdeklara ng martial law sa Luzon?” Pangilinan asked Lorenzana.

Lorenzana said martial law in Luzon is far from happening.

“Hindi mangyayari yan…dahil kaakibat na yan sa trabaho namin sa security operations,” Lorenzana said.

The assurance from the Defense official came as Duterte scrapped the peace talks with communist rebels despite Malacañang’s earlier statement that the negotiations were just “on hold.”

On June 30, Malacañang issued a statement alerting the public of supposed planned attacks by the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Last Wednesday, the NPA ambushed a convoy of the Presidential Security Group in Cotabato. Four Presidential guards were hurt in the attack. —LBG, GMA News