Handang gamitin ng Armed Forces of the Philippines o AFP ang kapangyarihan nilang kitlin ang freedom of expression kung makakapagligtas ito ng buhay o kung malalagay sa alanganin ang kanilang operasyon laban sa mga terorista.
Gayunman, agad nilinaw ni Brig. General Restituto Padilla, spokesman ng AFP na hindi nila inirerekomenda ang pagkitil sa kalayaan ng pamamahayag kung hindi naman kinakailangan.
Dahil dito, hiniling ni Padilla ang kooperasyon ng taumbayan para sa maayos na maipatupad ang martial law at maibalik agad sa normal ang sitwasyon sa Mindanao.
Nakatakda rin anya silang maglagay ng checkpoints at magdeklara ng curfew sa ilang bahagi ng Mindanao.
“Such measures will be announced ahead of time, on that, we encouraged the public and asked them and request them to please extend your full cooperations to avoid any inconvenience. The AFP has not yet recommended the suspension of freedom of expression but will exercise the right to censure based on the following: One, to ensure the safety of lives; Second, to ensure operational security for the safety of our own men in uniform who are fighting; and for other national security considerations”, pahayag ni Padilla.
Kasabay nito, umapela sa publiko si Padilla na isumbong sa kanila ang anumang makikitang pang aabuso sa panig ng mga sundalo at iba pang tigapagpatupad ng martial law.
Tiniyak ni Padilla ang mabilis na aksyon upang mapanagot ang mga mang aabuso sa batas militar.
Gayunman, umapela rin si Padilla sa taumbayan na magtiwala sa sandatahang lakas ng bansa.
“There are many quarters who have been raising issues already. They are people living the past, I would like to state that under the new basis for this martial law is declared those of the past are very different from the way it is going to be implemented today. Our Armed Forces is a new Armed Forces that you should trust. We are the Armed Forces of the people whose oath is to protect the state and every citizen of this country and we will do that”, bahagi ng pahayag ni Brig. General Restituto Padilla.
By Len Aguirre
