Duterte’s declaration, however, should not come as a surprise as he had repeatedly threatened to impose martial law on the restive island to suppress terrorism and lawlessness. Martial law can only last for 60 days. Moreover, a martial law declaration does not automatically suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus – the court order compelling authorities to produce suspects and justify their detention. Martial law will thus be implemented by consensus of the nation’s political leaders, who were elected precisely to perform this constitutional task. By all indications, Duterte’s martial law will be a tool to attempt a swift solution to a burgeoning problem of internal security.

Source: Manila Times May 24, 2017 16:18 UTC