Manila: Critics and victims of military abuses expressed alarm yesterday after President Rodrigo Duterte said he wanted Philippine leaders to be able to wield martial law powers without judicial and congressional approval.
Speaking during a visit to the northern Philippines on Thursday, the 71-year-old lamented how the constitution tied the president's hands in dealing with security crises including war.
"If you have martial law, only one person should be in control," Duterte said.
"If there's invasion or war and I declare martial law, I cannot proceed on and on to deal with the trouble as I still have to go to Congress, go to the Supreme Court," he added.
"That's why that needs to be replaced."
The Philippines adopted a new constitution in 1987 to curtail presidential powers after millions of Filipinos took to the streets the year earlier in a famous "People Power" revolution, to oust dictator Ferdinand Marcos and end his 20-year rule.
