Duterte reiterates: This is not martial law
Published May 29, 2020 12:00 am
By Agryll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte reiterated to the public that there was no reason for them to worry about the presence of the police on the streets, for it is just to make sure that everyone is following the quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte updates the nation on the government's efforts in addressing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on May 28, 2020. (ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement after he announced that Metro Manila will be placed under the general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning June 1.
In his public address Thursday evening, President Duterte says the public should not worry about the police and the military.
"I repeat, there is no martial law in the Philippines. Far from it. We are exercising the power of the State to protect public health. That is all there is to it," he said.
"Sometimes enforcement can be a very tedious process in explaining to the ordinary citizen, please understand that these are things which we have to do because it is needed to be implemented," he added.
According to the President, the public should not worry as there will be no arrests or detention.
"It's purely, if at all, if there's any intervention or interdiction, done by the law enforcement agencies," he said.
President Duterte made the same claim for the military, saying their role was simply just to implement the law during the pandemic.
"They are called upon to assist the civil government. Iyan lang ang trabaho nila at makita ninyo. (That's their job and as you can see) we are progressing at a very fast rate because we were able to put in place the rules to be followed when COVID-19 came in like a storm from the outside," he said.
The President said the law enforcers will strictly enforce the mandatory wearing of face masks for those who are going outside to stop contagion.
"Remember the COVID-19 microbes are still in the air that you breathe, that you pass on to your fellowmen if you are not ready or willing to wear the mask. It is precisely --- this is the protection not for you if you do not want it, but for the protection of the other guy," he said.
"That is why the state has every right to control your movement if you pass on a contagion to the other pop --- to the population," he added.
"So that to prevent a mass contagion, gusto namin putulin kung saan namin maputol (we want to cut it where we can) to stop it. That is the reason of the essence of the police power of the state, to come up with measures to protect public interest, public health, public safety, lahat nandiyan na ‘yan (everything)," he continued.
President Duterte, in particular, told people to stop trying to seize other people’s property or anything that would place the Philippines in a state of anarchy.
"The state has the right to come in and put a stop on it. That is the survival of the Republic of the Philippines," he said.
"This is a country of Filipinos who obey the laws. If you do not obey the law, well that’s your problem," he added.
According to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, some 184,000 individuals have violated the quarantine, 54 percent of whom were arrested, 37 percent were fined, while the remaining nine percent were given warnings.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte updates the nation on the government's efforts in addressing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on May 28, 2020. (ACE MORANDANTE/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement after he announced that Metro Manila will be placed under the general community quarantine (GCQ) beginning June 1.
In his public address Thursday evening, President Duterte says the public should not worry about the police and the military.
"I repeat, there is no martial law in the Philippines. Far from it. We are exercising the power of the State to protect public health. That is all there is to it," he said.
"Sometimes enforcement can be a very tedious process in explaining to the ordinary citizen, please understand that these are things which we have to do because it is needed to be implemented," he added.
According to the President, the public should not worry as there will be no arrests or detention.
"It's purely, if at all, if there's any intervention or interdiction, done by the law enforcement agencies," he said.
President Duterte made the same claim for the military, saying their role was simply just to implement the law during the pandemic.
"They are called upon to assist the civil government. Iyan lang ang trabaho nila at makita ninyo. (That's their job and as you can see) we are progressing at a very fast rate because we were able to put in place the rules to be followed when COVID-19 came in like a storm from the outside," he said.
The President said the law enforcers will strictly enforce the mandatory wearing of face masks for those who are going outside to stop contagion.
"Remember the COVID-19 microbes are still in the air that you breathe, that you pass on to your fellowmen if you are not ready or willing to wear the mask. It is precisely --- this is the protection not for you if you do not want it, but for the protection of the other guy," he said.
"That is why the state has every right to control your movement if you pass on a contagion to the other pop --- to the population," he added.
"So that to prevent a mass contagion, gusto namin putulin kung saan namin maputol (we want to cut it where we can) to stop it. That is the reason of the essence of the police power of the state, to come up with measures to protect public interest, public health, public safety, lahat nandiyan na ‘yan (everything)," he continued.
President Duterte, in particular, told people to stop trying to seize other people’s property or anything that would place the Philippines in a state of anarchy.
"The state has the right to come in and put a stop on it. That is the survival of the Republic of the Philippines," he said.
"This is a country of Filipinos who obey the laws. If you do not obey the law, well that’s your problem," he added.
According to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, some 184,000 individuals have violated the quarantine, 54 percent of whom were arrested, 37 percent were fined, while the remaining nine percent were given warnings.