Militants incapable of pushing Duterte to declare martial law —Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said militant groups were not capable of so disrupting country such that President Rodrigo Duterte will declare martial law nationwide.

“Sabi niya, ‘Kung left will try to have a massive protest, magsunog sila sa kalsada, they will disrupt the country, then I might [declare martial law],’” Lorenzana told reporters in a briefing in Malacañang on Friday.

“Sinabi na rin niya ang rason eh. But I don’t think—sa aking pananaw naman, estimate ko—very remote naman mangyari,” he added.

Lorenzana was asked about the circumstances of when Duterte would declare martial law nationwide.

“Pero si Presidente lang kasi is very concerned that it might get out of hand. So sabi niya, ‘I might declare martial law,’” Lorenzana said.

“But I don’t think the possibility that the left will be able to conduct a massive ano, massive demonstration across the country, disrupting the civil government or the lives of the people, eh hindi naman siguro mangyayari ‘yun,” he added.

Duterte on Saturday said he would declare martial law if the leftists would stage a rebellion.

"So with the NPAs. Kasi ang NPA hindi mo na kasi ngayon ma-ano eh. Actively, ‘yung front nila. Wala na silang tago-tago. Their meetings are in public. Hinayaan ko lang, sige. Pati ‘yung liga nila, mga leftist organization, harap-harapan na nakikipagkita na sila," Duterte said.

"Sabi ko, 'Sige.' Sabi ko, 'Hayaan mo.' But do not commit the mistake. Ako, hindi ako nananakot ha. Do not commit the mistake of staging a rebellion. ‘Yung sabihin mo na there’s a fighting on the streets. I will not hesitate to impose martial law all throughout the country and order the arrest of everybody," he added.

"Huwag kayong magkamali. You can demonstrate sa streets in the coming days. I am ordering the military to stay in the barracks, but be prepared for war," Duterte said.

However, Lorenzana added that intelligence reports show that there would be no massive protests as huge as the time of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

"Our intelligence people or hidden… our field people cannot… do not have any indication that magkakaroon ng talagang malakihan na katulad nung mga nakaraan taon... ni Marcos na magkakaroon ng ganong klase. We do not have that indications in our reports. Even the civilian LGUs, wala din naman silang nararamdaman sa baba eh," Lorenzana said.

In an ambush interview after the briefing, Lorenzana made it clear that Duterte would not declare martial law because of protests.

"I don't think the President would declare martial law sa Metro Manila lang," he said when asked if planned protests will go out of hand. —NB, GMA News