Before stating “just do it” he first explained that a President CAN declare Martial Law, but making something of that declaration needs the blessing of congress. This is where the confidence of that threat to Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno comes from (aside from being a bravado in nature), Duterte has control of the majority of congress hence ‘supermajorty’.
Going back in time Chief Justice Sereno and Duterte has word sort of when Duterte revealed judges named as drug protectors, Sereno expressed his disapproval in a letter that later angered Duterte that lead him saying “Do you want me to declare martial law?”.
He said it, because he can.
And Lacson thinks so too “Indeed he can declare anything like he’s been doing lately—including to the ambassador of the world’s only superpower.”. referring to US Ambassador Philip Goldberg.
A Different Martial Law
if Duterte will ought to do it, it will be a different Martial Law, Locsin explains why.
Sure he may get Congressional approval easily from a Senate with a boxer and a comedian and the Batasan which is shaped like an ATM-machine and which possesses a minority that will only echo the majority whence it comes—inappropriately: a minority that’s faux which is French for fake.
But you cannot impose martial law to suppress a lawless violence that is not evident; if you discount the lawlessness of the government itself. All the violence is coming from the government side.
Nor can you declare martial law to suppress the courts when martial law was intended to protect and uphold them.
The problem with the drug problem is it spreads without lawlessness: in dark dirty alleys for poor addicts and in exclusive clubs for rich ones.
So no, Duterte cannot declare martial law.
I mean he can but it would not be martial law but a Palace takeover of the democratic state.
I have no problem with martial law.
I do have a problem with the ignorant reason advanced for it: getting the Supreme Court out of the way. Are you kidding? The executive exists in great part, and is armed with martial law power mostly, for the reason of protecting the justice system so that the President can discharge his oath to do justice to every man.
Locsin further express is boredom with all these Martial Law talks an so are we, he perfectly said the words that needed to be said.
Frankly, all this talk of martial law is boring.
“Just do it,” is what I say, to borrow the words of Nancy Reagan borrowed by her from the Nike ad.
Then we will see what happens.
Martial law is not odious in itself.
If it were this Constitution would not contain it.
This Constitution provides for martial law; albeit with only a safeguard against abuse which the president can buy Congress to ignore.
So just do it. If anyone might do martial law right, it is Duterte.
He is old.
And he won’t last long.
If Duterte did martial law right—e.g., without cronies to steal for him—it might finally generate faith in martial law as a weapon to defend democracy but not kill it like Marcos did.
Democracy needs martial law to protect it. Yes, not just from foreign invasion and civil discord but from something the American Founding Fathers never experienced: a drug trade so vastly and deeply embedded, so well-funded, so brutal, and so numerously staffed, that it can do more than just attack democracy. It can buy democracy. And thereby kill our country and our race.
It is just that we have only had a bad taste of martial law; mostly stealing for personal gain—what else?—and killing like the assassination of Ninoy.
source: trendtitan
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