Senate Minority Leader Ralph G. Recto said yesterday there is no basis for President Duterte to declare Martial Law.
“Rebellion has been tamed. No foreign army is steaming towards our shores to invade us. And as the President himself likes to brag. Crime is down and the people are safe in their homes and communities,’’ Recto said.
Recto said that “we should know by now that such theatrical bombast is part of the President’s oratorical repertoire.’’
‘‘His bluster should be likened to a dog that always barks but seldom bites,’’ he added.
Recto said Duterte’s Martial Law threat should be likened to his ‘‘outlandish threats (during last year’s presidential campaign) like riding a jetski to the Spratlys or feeding the fish of Manila Bay with bodies of salvage victims.’’
“And as to the real enemies of the people – joblessness, hunger, poor, social services – these cannot by suppressed by the Armed Forces,’’ he pointed out.
Recto said Duterte’s assertion that the declaration of Martial Law is a unilateral act of the Chief Executive has no legal leg to stand on.
He said the Constitution, which the President had sworn to uphold in his oath of office, empowers Congress to revoke it and it is one of many safeguards.
It is also subject to Supreme Court review, and if to last more than 60 days, to congressional concurrence.
‘’Martial Law is a cure worse than the perceived disease. At a time when we project stability to reel in tourists and investors, a Martial Law declaration will show the opposite, of how unstable we are,’’ he said.
‘’The problems we face today do not require the calling in of the Army. We do not burn the house down to kill a few rats,’’ Recto added.
Rebellion and invasion are the only constitutionally-sanctioned reasons for the declaration of Martial Law.
President Duterte over the weekend threatened to impose Martial Law in the pursuit of his war on drugs.
“If I wanted to, and it (drugs problem) will deteriorate, I will declare Martial Law if I wanted to. No one will be able to stop me,’’ Duterte said during the oath taking rites of the new officials of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce Inc. in Davao City last Saturday night.
Duterte’s drug war started just after he formally took over the helm of government last July. (Mario B. Casayuran)