Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday denied claims made by a voice recording being spread on social media that the government would impose martial law by January 10 to stop the surge in coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in the country.

“Not true. Fake news. Definitely, out of the picture,” he said in a message to reporters.

In the voice recording, a woman is urging the public to stock up on food good for until January 30 on the possibility that President Rodrigo Duterte will declare martial law or total lockdown by next week.

In the scenario, no one will be allowed to go out, hence the need to stock up on supplies, the woman claimed.

“There is no compelling reason to declare martial law,” Lorenzana said in a report in the government news agency PNA