Panelo uses coronavirus invasion as ‘mind conditioning’ for martial law-solon

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro on Tuesday accused presidential chief legal adviser Salvador Panelo of “mind conditioning” people to accept Martial Law by saying coronavirus outbreak is considered as an “invasion.”

“Mind conditioning for public acceptance of martial law… Now, it’s the presidential legal adviser coming up with an absurd interpretation of the Constitution to equate ‘invasion’ to a virus,'” Castro said in a statement.

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“This administration is attempting to convince the public that strongman rule is always the solution for any problem it fails to solve,” she added.

Under the Constitution, the President can declare martial law for an initial period of 60 days and ask for its extension in case of rebellion, invasion, or when public safety requires it.

Panelo, who is also the Palace’s former spokesperson, said the definition of invasion in martial law had evolved and should not be confined to the use of armed forces to occupy another country.

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“It can mean the entry of a disease and the transfer from one area to another.  There is an actual invasion of the coronavirus disease, which is [a] pandemic. It threatens, in fact, the entire country,” he said in his commentary program aired on state-run PTV.

But Castro stood firm that there is no need to declare martial law for the government to conduct contact tracing and COVID-19 mass testing for the medical frontliners, elderly, and other members of the vulnerable sectors.

Coronavirus invasion

Also read: Solon: Blame China, not Filipinos in COVID-19 spread

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“Hindi dapat baliktarin ang civilian supremacy at gawing military rule—Matulungan ba nito ang LGUs na makapagtayo ng testing and isolation centers? Susunod ba ang mga sundalo sa mga governor, mayor, at iba pang local officials sa implementasyon ng quarantine ordinances halimbawa, o baliktad ang mangyayari?” she said.

(Civilian supremacy and the military rule should not be reversed — can it help LGUs establish testing and isolation centers? Will soldiers follow governors, mayors, and other local officials in the implementation of quarantine ordinances, for example, or will the reverse happen?)

“Mabibigay na ba ang pinangakong ayuda sa mamamayan kung ipaubaya sa mga sundalo at pulis ang cash, food, and non-food aid?” she added.

(Will the promised relief be given to the people if the soldiers and police would take over cash, food, and non-food aid?)

“By no stretch of the imagination—legal or otherwise—can the administration justify declaring martial law amid the COVID crisis. Atty. Panelo shouldn’t even try,” Castro said.