STOP MILITARIZATION. Tonying Flores of peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas slams the continued militarization in the countryside during a picket rally Thursday at the front door of La Breza Hotel in Quezon City where a meeting between the Commission on Human Rights, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police is on-going. (davaotoday.com photo by Alex D. Lopez)
“Martial law is not justified nor the solution,” KMP secretary general Antonio Flores said in a statement on Tuesday.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the declaration of a 60-day martial law on Tuesday evening after the Maute group attacked Marawi City.
KMP also expressed concern over the statement made by defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana on the declaration of martial law.
The peasant group quoted Lorenzana who said: “Lahat ng dapat gawin sa martial law we will implement–control of movement, searches, arrest or detain people.”
“Lorenzana even asserted that entire region is under martial law due to (security) problems in Zamboanga, Sulu and Tawi tawi, as well as in Central Mindanao with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and the New People’s Army,” Flores added.
KMP pointed out that the declaration of martial law in Mindanao is a pretext to escalating abuses of the state forces and attacks versus civilians.
“We need to remain vigilant and condemn Duterte’s Martial Law declaration,” the KMP leader said. (davaotoday.com)
