(Eagle News)–Even without a memorandum order, President Rodrigo Duterte can order the deployment of additional troops to other areas.
This is according to Senator Panfilo Lacson in a radio interview on Sunday, Nov. 25.
“…Even the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, upon the instruction of the President being the commander-in-chief, puwede naman silang mag-deploy talaga, kaya nga tinawag na mobile forces e,” Lacson said.
According to Lacson, under the Constitution, “kapag may nakita talagang dahilan, puwede siyang mag-suspend ng writ of habeas corpus at pwede rin siyang magdeklara ng martial law.”
He said if this was the case, the writ will cover only those “judicially-charged” for rebellion.
He said basic rights would still be respected.
In Memorandum No. 32, President Rodrigo Duterte directed the deployment of additional troops to Negros, Samar and Bicol.
The memorandum cited the need to suppress lawless violence in those areas, citing the Sagay massacre, the attack on police stations and the killings of local officials, among others.
Opposition legislators slammed the memorandum, saying the deployment was a prelude to martial law.