The order of President Rodrigo Duterte to send more troops to the Visayas and Southern Luzon was another step toward the declaration of martial law nationwide, three lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc warned on Friday. On the President’s directive, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea signed on Thursday Memorandum Order No. 32 calling for the deployment of supplementary state forces to Samar, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, and the Bicol Region– a supposed move to suppress “sporadic acts of violence” by unspecified lawless groups. Zarate meanwhile pointed out the same scenario was played before in Mindanao before the President declared martial law in the southern region. ADVERTISEMENT“First, there was a denial, then came the declaration of state of emergency citing lawless violence, and, eventually, declaration of Martial law in the island, which is being floated to be extended again,” Zarate noted.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 23, 2018 06:25 UTC