For former President and now House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, President Rodrigo Duterte is more than capable to police any abuse in the uniformed services as he declared a state of lawless violence.
"I did not experience [them] being abusive and I don't think they will be abusive now. In any case, President Duterte is a much stronger leader than I am. So if I can handle them, he can handle them even better."
Her fellow Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro said, "There are no additional powers given to the police and military. They are supposed to implement and suppress lawless violence in accordance with the specification of the President."
Arroyo, the country's 14th president, tapped then Mayor Duterte as her anti-crime adviser during her presidency. She supported Duterte's latest declaration.
"Ginagawa ko 'yan nu'ng panahon ko kaya it’s the right thing to do. (I used to declare it during my time, so it’s the right thing to do.) It varied. The threat is national so it’s just right that we should trust the President. You know, when I used to have those problems in Mindanao, I would ask Mayor Duterte to handle them for me. And he handled them very well in his time for me. So I’m sure he’ll handle just as well, if not better, for himself."
Castro added, "I would like to hasten adding that it is national in scope because the purpose of declaring the national state of lawless violence is to prevent acts of terrorism from being spread out to the whole country. That the purpose is really to protect the whole country against similar acts. We cannot expect that this is an isolated incident."
Asked if there are any lessons she can share with Duterte from her own experience, Arroyo said:
"You know, President Duterte knows all the lessons because he was helping me a lot during my time. He was my adviser on peace and order, especially on drugs and kidnapping and every time there was a state of lawlessness, I always called upon him to help me out so he knows he knows my experience, he knows all the lessons."
Asked how long the declaration should stay in effect, Arroyo said, "Iba-iba yun. (It varies.) Just recalling from my own experience, it varied. It varied according to the condition and I used to rely a lot on the judgment of the security officials. The state of lawlessness that I used to declare came from the provision in the Constitution that the president may call on the military to assist the police when there is a state of lawlessness. That means all the Armed Forces, both military and police, are on call and being mobilized and they will be the ones—the intelligence community—to say the threat is over to the extent that the state of lawlessness can be lifted."
Arroyo led congressmen in showing their support for President Duterte's declaration.
"On the declaration by President Duterte of the state of lawlessness, we support the declaration by President Duterte of state of lawlessness following the bombing in Davao City. This declaration means the police and the military will go on heightened alert and conduct patrols and check points as necessary. The Abu Sayyaf Group has already claimed responsibility for the bombing. This act by the Abu Sayyaf will not go unpunished and we are sure that the perpetrators will face the full implementation of the law. We are also sure that the military will pursue the Abu Sayyaf until this band of murderers is neutralized. We are also confident that the government will continue to pursue the anti-illegal drug and anti-crime campaign along with the offensive operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group, until the bandits are wiped out."
Arroyo also expressed the House's profound condolences with the bereaved families. "We wish to extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims of this tragedy and we support the government in extending financial and other assistance to them. Speaker Alvarez has already filed a resolution condemning the Davao bombing. We expect that this will be unanimously approved by the House to send the message that we are united against all forms of terrorism and are fully behind this administration."
Castro also dismissed as speculations all imputation of malice in the revelation that government planned to declare the state of lawlessness even before the Davao bombing last Friday. "That malice is purely speculative. It has no basis in fact and in law."
Asked if the anti-drugs war really needed a state of lawlessness declaration, Castro said, "As we have observed, the Philippine National Police has contained the campaign against illegal drugs. Therefore, the bombing in Davao is the sole and only reason why state of lawlessness was declared by the President. It has nothing to do with the drug campaign. But in the process, and if along the way police and military will have to force the law in coordination with... against illegal drug campaign, there is no reason why it would not be."
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