(Eagle News) — The ambush of soldiers providing relief to victims of a typhoon in Northern Samar, the armed attack on a police station in Lapinig, and the massacre of nine farmers in Sagay in October are only some of the incidents that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to order the deployment of additional troops to selected parts of the country.
This is according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, who issued a statement on Friday, Nov. 23, after several leftist lawmakers described Duterte’s move to deploy additional security forces in Samar, Negros and Bicol as a mere prelude to martial law.
“In the past months, a wave of lawless violence occurred in the aforesaid places with the entire nation watching or hearing in horror the killing and ambush of uniformed personnel, attacks on police stations, torching and destruction of equipment, massacre of civilians, and murders of local officials,” Panelo said.
Apart from the ambush of soldiers providing relief to victims of a typhoon in Northern Samar and the armed attack at the police station in Lapinig, Panelo said there was an ambush on the 63rd Infantry Battalion in Matuguinao and an attack by New People’s Army members that killed the former mayor of San Jose de Buan town, Ananias Rebato, on Oct. 8 in Samar.
Panelo said that in Negros Oriental, there was the killing of a chief of police in Guihulngan, the attack on police detachments, among others.
In Negros Occidental, apart from the Sagay massacre on Oct. 20, he said there was the attack on the 62nd Infantry Battalion whose members were only conducting clearing and combat operations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in May.
In Bicol, Panelo noted, among others, the ambush of the convoy of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Director-General Nela Charade Puno in Lupi, Camarines Sur on October 18.
“All these measures are being undertaken pursuant to the constitutional command to the President to serve and protect the people,” Panelo said.
The Palace, through Memorandum 32, announced the deployment of additional troops to those areas on Friday, Nov. 23, after President Rodrigo Duterte said there needed to be some changes in the military following the deaths of soldiers in the hands of lawless elements.
The memorandum, signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, emphasized that “no civil or political rights are suspended during the existence of a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence.”
“In particular, the (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and (Philippine National Police) are enjoined to observe existing rules and jurisprudence in instances that may justify the implementation of warrantless arrests, searches and seizures, as well as ensure compliance with guidelines for police/military checkpoints and stop-and-frisk situation,” the memorandum said.
“Any AFP or PNP personnel found violating any of the foregoing constitutional rights shall be held administratively, civilly or criminally liable therefore,” it added.