Amid Possible Declaration of Martial Law: Enrile Says Filipinos Should Be Thankful Duterte Came

“In a way you should be thankful that Duterte came because he’s now working to solve the drug problem, the criminality of the police or tulisan, ISIS and all these. At the age of 72! Would you rather live under a system like North Korea? That is the prototype of the system that some people want to install in this country."

This is what former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said regarding the possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte might declare Martial Law on the upcoming declared holiday on the 21st.

The 93-year old senator, and possibly the country's toughest political survivor believes that Duterte has much bigger problems than Marcos back then. The Filipinos should be thankful that our president is willing to face those problems.

“Duterte might declare martial law because he has bigger problems now than Marcos. He has the communist insurgency, ISIS, a big drug problem, a vociferous opposition and the traditional problem of Mindanao,”

Enrile recently celebrated his 60th year wedding anniversary with wife Cristina. During the event, he was asked if he would support Duterte if ever he declares it on the 21st. He said that whether he supports it or not, is not the question, he believes that Duterte will only declare Martial Law if they can't find any methodology to control the situation anymore.

“Whether I support him or not, we will be under martial law if he declares it. What can I do? I will not oppose him. How can I, I’m no longer in politics? If they can’t find a different methodology to control the situation, he might declare martial law.”

He said he agreed with the President’s decision to declare Sept. 21 a holiday so people can “do their rallies,” but warned they should not destroy or hurt people or vandalize.

“The police are an instrument of the state; if they violate their sworn duty and go out of line, they have to be brought to court. And that’s exactly what’s going on,”

When asked about Marawi, he said he thinks the government would be lucky if they are able to control it in one year.

“ISIS is a worldwide problem, that’s why I said the President has bigger problems than we encountered because back then (during Marcos’ time) the constabulary, which is now the PNP, and the military were consolidated under one department, which was under me,” 

As somebody who served as defense minister for 17 years, Enrile knows what he is talking about.

“Our problems were the MNLF, CPP-NPA, that’s it. We didn’t have ISIS, we didn’t have the drug problem,”

As a warning, he said that "some people" wanted to bring to the Philippines "the North Korean ideology." When asked who these people were, he said it was whoever holds the guns rules.

Source:  Philippine Star