Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s warnings about the abuse of martial law notwithstanding, it’s former president Fidel V. Ramos speaking out against expanding martial law in the Visayas and Luzon that may get President Rodrigo Duterte’s attention given how the former Davao City mayor often credited him for pushing his presidential candidacy.
“Let’s not allow it. The violence must be confined to smaller and smaller areas until martial law is no longer necessary. Our government must take strong measures without abusing human rights,” the former president said in a news conference last week.
Those who oppose martial law on any grounds may vacillate towards his views, but they are more supportive of Sereno and Vice President Leni Robredo’s positions with Sereno and Robredo citing the country’s past experiences with the Marcos dictatorship as a prime example of the dangers of martial law abuses.
But ask anyone who’s living in Mindanao what their views are on the ongoing martial law imposition and it’s just as likely that they are not opposed to it considering that movement, free speech and civil liberties have not been curtailed so far.
In fact, Acting Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy issued a memorandum reminding the military and police that the Constitution remains in force even with the automatic suspension of the writ of habeas corpus that allows them to effect warrantless arrests.
What is in effect are mobile random checkpoints augmenting existing checkpoints that would allow the police and military to inspect anyone they deem suspicious enough to warrant a second and even third look.
That type of security was especially instrumental in uncovering the treachery of Supt. Ma. Cristina Nobleza, the female police official who is married to a member of and has extensive links to the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.
Ramos and Robredo did recognize that the threat of the Maute terrorist group needed to be contained and extinguished, not expanded to the Visayas and Luzon islands where a large chunk of the military and police forces is concentrated to protect the seat of power.
Mr. Duterte would just as likely ignore or even castigate Sereno anew for speaking out against martial law as he even threatened to abolish the Supreme Court if they dared question his war on illegal drugs.
But just as the kidnap and murder of a Korean businessman by police officers near Camp Crame headquarters stalled and cast serious doubts on the administration’s war on illegal drugs, so would one, two or even several cases of abuse question the validity of imposing martial law in Mindanao.
The Duterte administration should continually ensure that the rights of the governed in Mindanao would not be abused while martial law is in effect even as it should commit to ending it along with the terror threat posed by the Maute Group and its ISIS allies.