Esperon: Nationwide martial law a ‘probable response’ if Sept. 21 protest escalates

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned that implementing a nationwide martial law is one of the “probable actions or response” if the planned mass protests on September 21 escalates, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Friday.

“Meron siyang sinabi na hindi namin in-e-explore ganoon kalalim pero yung ganyang mga usapan kung mag-i-isip ka na adviser, eh di pag-aralan mo. Eh di pag-a-aralan ko. Pinag-a-aralan ko nga,” Esperon told reporters on the sidelines of the National Security Council budget hearing at the Senate.

“Nasabi niya kasi na kapag ginulo nila, eh anong gagawin mo? So nasa range ng probable actions mo or reponse. Alangan namang mag-action ka lang o mag-i-isip ka lang pag nandyan na,” he added.

Esperon said authorities are looking into information that “armed groups” are planning to disrupt the planned protests.

“Sino ba ang mga armado? Eh di NPA [New People’s Army] or kung meron mang terorista, eh di mga grupo ng extremists na ISIS. We are looking into these things and let me just say that from the case of good to worst, meron tayong scenarios, we are ready for anything,” he said.

Esperon said President Rodrigo Duterte does not feel threatened about the mass protests to be held by various groups, including leftists. September 21 is the 45th anniversary of the martial law declaration of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.

“Si Mayor Rody takutin mo? Very level-headed lang siya. Kung threat-threat lang na ganyan, eh siya naka-apat na beses na sa Marawi,” Esperon said.

Duterte has visited Marawi four times since Maute terrorists attacked the city.

Esperon reminded those who will join the protests not to take the law into their own hands, saying they are “free to demonstrate.”

Duterte has said that he is considering suspending government work and classes amid plans of several groups to stage a massive protest in the coming days.

“This early, I am announcing that I am ordering a holiday para walang masaktan, walang ano kung may demonstration diyan, magkagulo. Walang trabaho ang gobyerno ‘yang araw na 'yan at ang klase suspended,” Duterte said without mentioning a date.

Over the weekend in Cagayan de Oro City, Duterte said he will place the entire country under martial law if communist rebels would resort to fighting on the streets.

“Do not commit the mistake of staging a rebellion. ‘Yung sabihin mo na there’s fighting on the streets. I will not hesitate to impose martial law all throughout the country and order the arrest of everybody,” Duterte said during his visit at Camp Evangelista. 

But at a press briefing in Malacañang on Friday, no less than Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana downplayed capabilities of militant groups to mount anything that would push Duterte to declare a nationwide martial law.

“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. — RSJ/KVD, GMA News