Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said on Wednesday he did not see any problem seeking the help of the military to ensure that the enhanced community quarantine is properly implemented.

However, Sotto said the public should be “careful” in using the term “martial law-like” lockdown.

“In Pasig, there has been no presence of military so far,” he said in a virtual forum of  the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

However, the mayor said if Pasig would need the help of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

He said if the presence of soldiers would help people out of the streets, “we would actually welcome that.”

With over 800,000 population in Pasig, Sotto said the local government could not watch all of them 24/7.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier warned that if the number of coronavirus disease patients would continue to increase due to failure of the people to stay at home, he would order the military and the police to implement strict ECQ or a martial law-like lockdown.

Malacanang has clarified  there would be no declaration of martial. But if Duterte would finally ask the AFP to help, it would be under one of the President’s emergency powers, which is a calling out power.

The AFP, on the other hand, said if Duterte would make a final order to help the police for a more stringent enforcement of the lockdown, the public could expect more foot patrols and the use of loud speakers to remind them to remain at home. Celerina Monte/DMS