Iginiit ngayon ng Malacañang na nararapat ang pananatiling pag-iral ng Proclamation 55 na nagdedeklara ng state of national emergency sa kabila ng pagpaso na ng Martial Law sa Mindanao noong Disyembre 31 ng nakaraang taon.
Ang Proclamation 55 ay inilabas ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong Setyembre 4, 2016 ahil sa mga nangyayaring lawless violance patikular sa Mindanao.
Sinabi ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, alinsunod sa Proclamation 55, inaatasan ni Pangulong Duterte bilang commander-in-chief ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Philippine National Police (PNP) na magsagawa ng kinauukulang aksyon para sugpuin ang karahasan sa Mindanao at pigilan ang pagkalat nito sa ibang bahagi ng bansa.
Ayon kay Sec. Panelo, kabilang sa mga dahilan ng pananatili pa ng state of national emergency declaration ang communist insurgency at paglutang ng bagong teroristang grupong dahil durugin.
Kaugnay nito, hinihikayat ng Malacañang ang publiko na makipagtulungan sa mga otoridad kasabay ng katiyakang hindi papayagan ng gobyerno ang anumang pag-abuso sa kanilang mga karapatan habang umiiral ang state of national emergency.
“While jurisprudence defines the power currently being utilized by the President through Proclamation No. 55 as the most benign among the three extraordinary powers, the same should remain imposed and strictly observed by the AFP and PNP to ensure the maintenance of law and order in all other parts of the country given that there remains the communist insurgency to reckon with, as well as there is yet a terrorist organization resurrecting to be crushed. The Office of the President asks the citizenry for their usual cooperation, even as we assure them that the government will not allow any abuse of their fundamental civil and political rights during this state of national emergency,” ani Sec. Panelo.
