By Tara Yap  ILOILO CITY – Despite the reported plan of President Duterte to place Negros Oriental under martial rule due to the spate of recent killings, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Friday that any such move could still be premature. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) “Ako hindi ko pa nakikita nga kailangan eh (I don’t see the need),” Lorenzana said while in Zarraga town, Iloilo province. Since July 23, at least 14 people have been killed in the province, including four police officers, a lawyer, a school principal, a former town mayor, and a city councilor.  The New People’s Army (NPA) has owned up to most of the deaths. But Lorenzana emphasized there was a need to wait for the recommendations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the provincial government of Negros Oriental. Speaking at the sidelights of a turn over ceremony of a newly built evacuation center, Lorenzana noted that the declaration of martial law might be considered if the two law enforcement agencies and the local government cite enough reasons for its imposition. For Lorenzana, the only fitting time to declare martial law would when Negros Oriental finds itself in total “chaos” which it can no longer be controlled. Lorenzana also added that the killings have stopped because the election period has been over. He surmised that some of the killings are politically motivated. “Let’s see in the coming weeks,” Lorenzana added. While the defense chief is not yet amenable to martial law, the Philippine Army in the Visayas expressed support for its imposition. “We will be ready to support and abide by the President’s decision to whether declare martial law in the province,” said Major General Dinoh Dolina, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), in a Friday statement.