Palace welcomes UK envoy’s statement on martial law in Mindanao

Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the statement made by British Ambassador Asif Ahmad that he saw nothing wrong with the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

"We appreciate ‘yung statement po ng Ambassador to support the Constitutional implementation of martial law and military action to suppress violence and impose control and security," Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in an interview on dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.

Ahmad, on Wednesday, told reporters at an iftar reception that he saw nothing "intrinsically wrong" with declaring martial law or declaring a state of calamity or state of emergency in Mindanao.

Britain's top diplomat to Manila also emphasized that "it is how you use those facilities constitutionally to be held accountable and bring the situation under control.”

With this, Abella recalled how Ahmad has been critical of the Duterte administration's campaign against illegal drugs.

"Hindi na po nagtagal, nung September, sinabi po niya (Ahmad) at binanggit niya na meron daw 'cult of death' amid anti-drug killings at nung February, sabi rin niya na 'Change has come, but not in a good way'," the Palace official said.

"Pero ngayon po, we welcome ‘yung kanyang suporta," Abella said.

The Presidential spokesperson said that the British envoy's support for martial law might be due to the recent terror attacks in the United Kingdom.

"So, coming from us po, both the Philippines and the United Kingdom had suffered immensely from recent terrorist attacks and we reiterate our sympathy and solidarity with the victims in the Manchester and London atrocities and we stand with the UK and the entire civilized world against this threat masquerading as religious war," Abella said.

“There is nothing godly about ISIS and its cohorts in Europe and Asia. But with unity and resolve, the nations of the world will crush this scourge,” he added. — John Ted Cordero/MDM, GMA News