Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada believes President Rodrigo Duterte will not impose martial law despite his repeated threats to do so, unless it is the only solution to the illegal drugs problem.
“Maybe he was just threatened,” Estrada told reporters at the sidelines of the graduation ceremonies of 82 traffic enforcers of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau at the city hall last Wednesday.
He was asked if he thinks the chief executive is serious in his talks about martial law.
But when asked again if he will support such moves, he replied: “Well, it depends, you know, we cannot control this…his all-out war against drugs. There’s no…if martial law is the only solution.”
Estrada pointed out that the President no longer needs to impose martial law to fight drugs because he has so far been successful in going after drug traffickers operating in the country and eliminating criminality.
“We are successful, all the mayors now are cooperating with him because he’s really serious. That goes to show he’s really serious,” the former president stressed.
Estrada has been openly supportive of Duterte’s anti-drug policies.
In Manila, Estrada’s own multi-pronged campaign against illegal drugs has netted thousands of drug pushers while his anti-drug education program Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) has been educating elementary students about the dangers of drugs.
On the President’s earlier appeal that he be given another six months to rid the country of drugs, Estrada said Duterte can do it in a year provided the public fully supports him.
“I believe so. You see, he is that serious, and we are not joking here…that’s why [the drug pushers] are afraid. We need this, sometimes because the Filipinos are lax in imposing our laws,” he pointed out, citing the “padrino” or patronage system in the Filipino culture.
On Jan. 18, Duterte clarified that he does not have plans to declare martial law in the country but added he would stay quiet if he decides to do so. He issued this statement in a speech in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.
The President cited a military report that there is no compelling reason to impose martial rule in the country at this moment.
“If I feel as a president that I have to preserve my country, I will declare martial law,” Duterte said.