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| Duterte warns anew of imposing martial law as he announced the extension of the lockdown |
The Philippine government has extended the lockdown in the National
Capital Region and nearby provinces until May 15 to keep the
coronavirus contagion under control.
As of today, Apr 24, the Philippines
has a total of 7,192 Covid-19 infections, with 477 deaths, the second highest
in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the lockdown extension Thursday
night through his spokesman Harry Roque, as he threatened to declare martial law to stop rebel attacks.
Previously, he also said he would impose martial law if
people continued to ignore lockdown restrictions despite heavily armed police
and army troops enforcing the emergency measures to fight Covid-19.
The stay-at-home order in Luzon that Duterte imposed from
mid-March to Apr 30 in Central and Southern Luzon provinces was also widened to
cover Cebu, Davao and Iloilo
But Roque said in a televised briefing
today, Apr 24, that the quarantine measure in some regions may be loosened
starting May 1 to allow the partial reopening of malls and to resume work in
agriculture, public construction, manufacturing and other selected industries.
Duterte warned he might declare his own brand of martial law in
response to attacks lately by communist New People’s Army on government forces.
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| Soldiers checking on motorists at a checkpoint in Camp Olivas, Pampanga |
“I am now warning everybody. I’m putting notice sa armed
forces pati pulis. I might declare martial law and there will be no turning
back. Kung ano ang martial law na gagawin ko, akin lang iyan,” Duterte said the
media briefing in Malacañang attended by Cabinet members.
“Pero kung gusto ninyo, kasi pinagpapatay ninyo yung mga
sundalo ko pati pulis, na walang ginawa kundi sinamahan lang yung nagbibigay ng
pera at pagkain, pinatay ninyo. I will try to finish you,” the President said.
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He warned that he would also go after big businesses that he
accused of giving financial support to the NPA, a decades-old rebel group.
Roque, meanwhile, said the so-called enhanced community
quarantine will remain in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog
(Calabarzon), Catanduanes and Albay, as well as on Mindoro island. Benguet,
Pangasinan, Tarlac and Zambales.
The lockdown will also be expanded until May 15 to “high
risk” areas in the central and southern Philippines ,
such as Antique, Iloilo , Aklan, Capiz, and Cebu
in the Visayas, and Davao del Norte, Davao de Oro, and Davao
City in Mindanao .
Fears for the economy are growing amid the lockdown, with
the government already having used up nearly 90% of the almost Php400 billion
that Congress had allowed to be diverted to the fight against the pandemic.
But some analysts say that while the lockdown is not good
for business, it is a positive step for the healthcare system.
