Duterte: No plan to use martial law to stay long in power

President Rodrigo Duterte has assured the “doubting Thomases” that he would not use martial law to perpetuate himself in power.

Duterte even expressed his willingness to step down—if only his running mate and now Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano or former Senator Bongbong Marcos won the vice presidency.

“The thing here is, itong ibang political parties, pati ‘yung personalities. Wala nang ginawa kung hindi mang-hanker, gaano katagal daw itong martial law at ano pa ba ang dapat gawin,” he told the troops in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

“Alam mo itong mga pu— ina ‘to, they [were] trying to think that we in government are trying to perpetuate our self in power. Ako kung pwede lang talaga akong mag-resign… kung nanalo ‘yan si Cayetano, o kaya ito si Bongbong, alis na ako. Sa totoo lang,” he added.

Duterte said that he was not proud of declaring martial law, but his security forces told him that the ruckus in Mindanao reached critical level.

“I’m the second President to declare martial law. I am not proud of it. I am not happy because it indicates something that there is a trouble,” Duterte said.

His statement came after two petitions were filed at the Supreme Court, asking the justices to nullify Proclamation No. 216 that declared martial law and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao.

In a chance interview after talking to the troops, Duterte said he would follow the SC’s decision on the martial law declaration. —NB, GMA News