Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER file photo / JOAN BONDOC
There is no need for President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a nationwide martial law, Malaca帽ang said Wednesday, as it insisted that it would not fall into the trap hatched by enemies of the state.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque issued the statement a day after the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr. said聽 the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is out to force Duterte to declare a nationwide martial law as part of the alleged plot dubbed as 鈥淩ed October.鈥�
In a statement, the CPP denied this, saying聽 it would not 鈥減ush for something which has relentlessly inflicted atrocious crimes on the people.鈥�
But Roque backed the claim of the AFP.
鈥淲e stand by the statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] that the Communist Party of the Philippines is pushing the President to place the country under martial law,鈥� he said in a statement.
鈥淏y sowing chaos through its 鈥楻ed October鈥� ouster plot,鈥� Roque said 鈥渢he CPP hopes that a nationwide martial law declaration would spark people鈥檚 outrage.鈥�
鈥淲e will therefore not fall into this trap hatched by the enemies of the state. 鈥淧resident Duterte sees no ground to declare martial law nationwide as the whole situation is under control,鈥� he said.
Duterte placed the entire Mindanao region under martial law on May 23 after the ISIS-inspired Maute Group attacked Marawi City, prompting a siege that lasted for five months. /jpv
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