Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

MANILA - Members of the opposition and a human rights group on Sunday questioned the Malacañang's order boosting troop deployment in several areas to suppress what the palace calls "lawless violence."

Citing a "number of sporadic acts of violence," Malacañang last Friday issued Memorandum Order 32 telling the military and police to deploy additional troops to Bicol, Samar, and the Negros provinces to "prevent such violence from spreading and escalating elsewhere in the country."

• Palace deploys more troops to Bicol, Samar, Negros provinces to suppress 'lawless violence'

Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin said the "highly unnecessary" deployment of more troops in these will only stoke panic among the people.

"I think what should be done by government to address the problem ay mag-imbestiga, mag deploy ng mas maraming investigators to go after the perpetrators," he told DZMM.

Liberal Party senatorial candidate Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada meanwhile accused the palace of “fear-mongering” and said the government should instead focus on fighting inflation.

“Memo Order 32 is fear-mongering. The government wants us to feel unsafe when the only thing we have to fear right now is how the economy is being managed," Tañada said in a statement.

Human rights group Karapatan earlier also called MO 32 as "galawang diktador at terorista" (dictatorial and terroristic moves) which can be used to justify extrajudicial killings, illegal arrests at detention.

Meanwhile, Villarin also said he is bothered that Duterte sees military solutions to problems that can be addressed by the normal chain of command and functioning courts.

He cited examples like the President's order for a "military takeover" in the Bureau of Customs amid corruption allegations, and the extended martial law in Mindanao.

"Hindi dapat si Presidente, lahat ng problema, military ang solusyon. Lumalabas de facto martial law na pala tayo," said the lawmaker.

(The President shouldn't always seek military solutions to all his problems because it will appear that we are like under de facto martial law.)

"Hindi ito nakakatulong dahil lumalabas na wala siyang confidence sa civilian na pamamaraan sa pag-address ng problema. It's very worrisome and highly unnecessary," he added.

(This is not helping at all because it shows he has no confidence in the civilian way of addressing the problem.)

Tañada meanwhile again called on Congress to review the facts behind the so-called state of lawless violence.