Martial law-type lockdown ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL ’ - Bayan Muna

Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite is calling the “martial law type” lockdown as a direct violation of the Constitution.

The left leaning solon was referring to the leaked memo from the Philippine Air Force regarding its operation to implement a “martial law-type” lockdown following the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in one of his public address.

“Not a type of Martial Law, not just like a Martial Law, it is Martial Law,” said Gaite.

Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Ferdinand Gaite
(photo credit to owner)

Gaite stressed that “there is no constitutional basis” for the deployment of the military other than those enumerated under Article 7, Section 18 of the 1987 Constitution which states that the mobilization of the military, a Martial Law, could only be done “to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.”

“None of these conditions exists, thus there should be no basis for the deployment of military forces amid the lockdown,” said Gaite.

According to Gaite, it was “baffling” why the President insists on stepping up a military-centric solution when experiences of other countries, and opinions from the medical and scientific community repeatedly say that this health crisis must be confronted in a medical way.

“Countries who were successful in combatting the virus did not resort to fascism. Their successes are the result of a comprehensive and appropriate medical plan, one that involves well-equipped health workers, not well-armed soldiers,” said Gaite.

He added that instead of mass testing, Mr Duterte seems to be “more hell-bent on mass arrests and mass imprisonment.”

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Report from Politiko

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