Vice President Leni Robredo on Friday sought reassurances from the Duterte administration that its martial rule over Mindanao would not be used as an instrument to orchestrate a return to a Ferdinand Marcos-style dictatorship. “Many are fearful [of martial law] because of our country’s experience with [human rights] abuses. Robredo said she found it difficult to react to Duterte’s pronouncements on Wednesday as he was raising “only the possibility” of declaring martial law in the Visayas and Mindanao with no clear commitment. “In our view, there’s no reason to involve Visayas and Luzon,” the former Camarines Sur congresswoman said in Filipino. But at the same time, Robredo said many Filipinos were justifiably upset over the martial law declaration in Mindanao as it triggered harsh recollections of the country’s dark experience under the Marcos regime.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 26, 2017 08:18 UTC