MANILA — Malacañang has denied Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison’s accusation that President Rodrigo Duterte is ‘hell-bent’ on declaring martial law before the 2019 mid-term elections to ensure he stays in power.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte has repeatedly and consistently assured he won’t stay in office a day longer than his term, which will end on June 30, 2022.
He said Dutere has even expressed willingness to cut short his term of office should the proposal to the shift to federalism will be adopted by Congress before 2022.
“The remarks, therefore, of Mr. Jose Ma. Sison that PRRD would declare a nationwide martial law to ensure his stay in power is downright ludicrous,” he said.
Panelo said Sison has been “foisting martial law bogey” for more than a year now as part of his psywar campaign against the Duterte administration.
“All his forecasts have fallen flat on the ground. This just shows that Mr. Sison, who has spent almost three decades of high living in Europe, simply lost his marbles and is already out-of-touch of the political realities in the Philippines,” Panelo said.
Panelo, who is also Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said martial law can only be proclaimed under the conditions outlined by the Constitution.
“President Duterte has articulated in numerous occasions that he would not impose martial rule unless so required by the command of the Constitution,” he said.
He said Sison has obviously lost the leadership of the communist cadre “as its hardcore leaders have not enforced the pre-conditions agreed upon for the resumption of peace talks”.
“With the lack of support from these leaders who are now woke of their unfair relationship with him, he is now left with just issuing rehash statements from the safe and comfortable environment of his exile,” Panelo said.
Though Mindanao remains under martial law due to last year’s five-month Marawi siege, the Palace had earlier assured that Duterte is not inclined to declare martial law nationwide.
The military had claimed the communists are just trying to create chaos to force Duterte to declare martial law. (Jelly Musico/PNA)
