NAGPALIWANAG kahapon ang Palasyo sa naging pahayag ni Pangulog Rodrigo Duterte kaugnay posibleng pagdedeklara ng Martial Law sa pagsasabing alam niya ang kanyang limitasyon.
Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ni Presidential Communications Office (PCO) head Secretary Martin Andanar na patanong ang naging pahayag ni Duterte kaugnay ng pagdedeklara ng martial law.
“The President merely asked a rhetorical question and said it under the context that his anti-drug campaign cannot wait for the slow wheels of justice – Philippines
style. We have an Action Man for a President who believes justice delayed is justice denied. He is the type, who at the onset of his presidency, simply wants to hit the ground running and rid society of drugs, crime, and corruption with urgency,” sabi ni Andanar.
Ito’y matapos ang talumpati ni Duterte sa Cagayan De Oro City noong Martes kung saan sinagot niya ang pahayag ni Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno matapos siyang magbabala ng constitutional crisis matapos idawit ng pangulo ang pitong hukom sa iligal na droga.
“The President has made use of executive powers at his disposal, knowing fully well the limits of these powers, and without undermining the constitutional separation of powers nor infringing upon the rights of citizens. He is working very hard to deal with the drug menace head-on, by removing fear from among the civilians and bringing it back to the hearts of drug protectors, criminals and corrupt officials,” paliwanag pa ni Andanar.
Samantala, sinabi ni Andanar na bilang isang abugado, bahagi ng adbokasiya ni Duterte ang pagkakaroon ng kalayaan ng hudikatura.
“As President, he has the sworn duty to uphold and defend the Constitution. The words and action of the President all point to these. When the President referred the named judges on his consolidated list to the Supreme Court, he was acknowledging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over the judges. He recognizes the separation of powers, and even asked the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court not to create a constitutional crisis,” ayon pa kay Andanar.
Aniyan, binibigyan pa nga ni Duterte ang mga hukom na kanyang pinangalanan na makapagpaliwanag.
“Not everybody will applaud him for his audacity, but the President is putting his life, his honor, and the presidency at stake. His love for the people is greater than his fear for his own life, or the fear of embarrassment, failure, or mistake,” giit ni Andanar.