Former President Arroyo Is Trusting President Duterte On Declaring State Of Lawlessness

On Monday, September 6,2016 Former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she has full belief and trust in the President's decision to judiciously implement the “state of lawlessness” after the bombing that happened in Davao City which killed 14 innocent individuals. 

At the House of Representatives, while in a press briefing of the deputy speakers,  Arroyo was asked to share the learningsshe could share with Duterte having declared a state of national emergency and martial law during her term as President.

In 2009, Arroyo declared martial law in Maguindanao in the occurence of the Maguindanao massacre of 58 persons, 32 of whom were journalists, allegedly by the private army of the Ampatuan warlord clan. In 2006, she also declared a state of national emergency. Also in 2001, she declared a state of rebellion when a mob protested the arrest of deposed President Joseph Estrada for plunder over jueteng kickbacks, and in 2003 due to the mutiny led by then Navy Ltsg. Antonio Trillanes in Oakwood, Makati.

Arroyo said that Dutete is well versed with the lessons of using such powers of the Chief Executive granted under the 1987 Constitution. She also mentioned that when she was president, Duterte became her adviser on peace and drugs because of his is experience as mayor of Davao City.

In declaring the state of lawlesness, Duterte called on the military to help the police in running the country and protect the citizenry due to the suspected involvement of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group in the blast. He also cited the drug situation and the spate of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects unfairly attributed to the police.

Duterte made it clear that he is not declaring martial law and is not suspending the writ of habeus corpus at any point.

According to Section 18 of Article VII of the Constitution that explains the powers of the executive, the president as commander-in-chief of all armed forces may call out if necessary “such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.”

Asked about any possible abuses by the police and military due to the state of lawlesness, Arroyo said it never happened that there were any abuses by state forces when she was President.

President Duterte is much stronger leader than herself, Arroyo said. And she added, that if she was able to handle them, He could even handle them better as he is more experienced and considered to be an iron-fisted President. As deputy speaker, it was the first time for Arroyo to lead the press conference since her release from four years of hospital detention.

Source: Inquirer