QUEZON City, Philippines (Eagle News) — Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III assured the public that there was nothing to worry about now that President Rodrigo Duterte had placed the entire Mindanao under martial law.
“The terrorists are the threat here. They have repeatedly shown an utter disregard for the sanctity of human life and have shown that they will not hesitate to resort to violence and mayhem to further their ends,” the Senate President said.
Pimentel also said that the military should be respected as they are placing themselves in danger in order to protect the public from enemy.
“Our men in uniform are there in Mindanao risking life and limb to protect our people, and for that they deserve our admiration and respect… As long as they operate within the bounds of our Constitution and our laws our people have nothing to fear,” he said.
“Those who have sown terror in Mindanao and threaten the safety and security of our citizens are the enemy – not the government and certainly not our men in uniform,” Pimentel said.
The Senate leader also encourages the public to understand the decision of Duterte.
“President Duterte knows that at this point, extraordinary measures are necessary to contain this threat, and those of us from Mindanao understand that. The rest of the nation should understand this as well,” Pimentel explained.