People who opposes martial law because they fear that similar events and issues will happen again, just like the late President Ferdinand Marcos' martial law. But there are also those who fully accepts the military rule especially during a crisis in provinces of Mindanao.
Broadway Diva, Lea Salonga, had a question and answer session in her twitter account. One of the question asked to her was, "Agree po ba kayo sa Martial Law?"
The question was asked by Vice Ganda.
Only if used as an opportunity to commit abuse. That's when we all have to cry foul.— Lea Salonga (@MsLeaSalonga) June 17, 2017
Lea was asked if she's agreeing in the imposing of martial law or 'batas militar'. She answered, "Only if used as an opportunity to commit abuse. That's when we all have to cry foul."
However, the first part of her answer didn't seem right at all, "Only if used as an opportunity to commit abuse." So she corrected herself and answered the question again in Filipino.
"I realized I answered incorrectly. Tutol ako sa Martial Law kapag ito'y ginamit bilang pagkakataon upang umabuso sa kapwa," she said.
Other Twitter users agreed to her insight and opinion.
Martial Law was not the problem, it was the abuses. Martial Law before and now are totally different.— ab 🇵🇭 (@abegail359) June 17, 2017
I went to Davao last week, and you can see soldiers anywhere. And you can't see any sign of fear from the faces of Davaoeños. Martialove.— Mrs. Flynn (@trzshkrstl) June 17, 2017
Recently, the Broadway actress was convinced by a friend of hers that the President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to impose Martial Law in Mindanao is really necessary and needed to resolve the siege in Marawi City.
The 'The Voice' coach shared her friend Maia Villapañe's letter for the people of Manila to her Facebook friends and recommended to read it.
"This is my friend Maia. We met in New York. She’s an artist. Incredibly smart. I would take her word about what’s happening in Mindanao over just about anyone else’s, because that’s where she’s from. Please give this a read. If nothing else, you’ll get a point of view that’s most likely different from yours, and mine," Lea said.
Maia is a blogger from Cagayan de Oro, a province in Mindanao. In her message she reminisced the time were she grew up seeing military checkpoints and "learned early on to associate the presence of the military with safety because our local news too often would report of this armed group or that terrorist faction making some sort of mess".
Read her letter below:
Dear Manileños and privileged city kids everywhere else,
I grew up seeing military checkpoints dotting our route from Cagayan de Oro to Surigao. We learned early on to associate the presence of the military with safety because our local news too often would report of this armed group or that terrorist faction making some sort of mess. Although these skirmishes were often not covered by your national media, we Mindanaoans learned early on that our Northern counterparts didn’t really care about us and our government only gave us perfunctory handouts. We learned to be tough and to survive.
But we are also tired of having to deal with these armed groups. We want a real end to this. That’s why we voted for the President.
So if we have to sacrifice a little of our personal freedom, if we have to adhere to a curfew, if we have to cooperate with the military, WE ARE PREPARED. We’ve done this a million times before.
You think your complaints are saving us? They’re not. You only want to feel validated for supposedly “caring” but I bet that before all of this, you knew next to nothing about Mindanao and its people.
Kaya don’t us. We’re tired and your complaints are pissing us off.
No love,
Maia (GenSan-born, raised in Cagayan de Oro; daughter of Mindanao)
PS: I still have family and friends in Mindanao. Despite the threat, they know exactly what to do at this point. Unlike you whiners, they’re as tough as reinforced steel. No complaints and fear-mongering from them, just the same old refusal to be intimidated by terrorists.
Martial Law was imposed by President Rodrigo Duterte to resolve the siege in the conflict-stricken Marawi City. He placed the entire Mindanao under military rule to prevent the ISIS-linked Maute terrorist group from escaping to other parts of Mindanao.
Source: Lea Salonga,
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