DAVAO CITY (Sept. 3) — President Rodrigo R. Duterte has placed the country under a “state of lawlessness” hours after the deadly blast in a night market here in Davao City, as he authorized the police and military to conduct security searches in cars and frisking of individuals in checkpoints.
Duterte clarified the state of lawlessness is not martial law and does not involve the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
“State of lawlessness, not martial law,” he said.
Any punitive action should be in the furtherance of protecting the country to stop terrorism, President Duterte told reporters after an ocular inspection of the blast site early Saturday morning.
“I have this duty to protect the country. I have this duty to keep intact the integrity of the nation,” Duterte said early Saturday.
Duterte said his declaration has something to do with protecting the country and people in light of intensified drug operations and terrorism.
He cited recent bombings in some Mindanao localities.
President Duterte also said he expects people to submit to searches and frisking in all checkpoints as he declared a lockdown of the city.
“We know that this is not a fascist state. I cannot control the movement of the citizens of the city and every Filipino has the right to enter and leave Davao. It is unfortunate we cannot stop and frisk anybody for just any reason,” he said.
“But I am declaring the entire country on alert,” he added.
Following this declaration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines was also placed on full alert.
Metro Manila and the whole of Davao region were placed on full alert after the Davao City night market bombing.
“There will be major checkpoints,” the President said.
Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella called on the public to be calm as he stressed that the government is doing everything in its power to protect its citizenry.
Bodies were strewn amid the wreckage of plastic tables and chairs on a road that had been closed to traffic for the market in the heart of Davao city.
An improvised explosive device caused the explosion, presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said, adding drug traffickers opposed to Duterte’s war on crime or Islamic militants may have been responsible.
“There are many elements who are angry at our president and our government,” Communications Secretary Andanar told a radio station, after referring to the drug traffickers and the militants.
“We are not ruling out the possibility that they might be responsible for this but it is too early to speculate.”
Davao is the biggest city in the southern Philippines, with a population of about two million people. It is about 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) from the capital of Manila.
The blast occurred around 10:30 in the evening in the centre of Davao, close to one of the city’s top hotels that Duterte sometimes holds meetings in, as well as a major university.
“The force just hurled me. I practically flew in the air,” Adrian Abilanosa, who said his cousin was among those killed, told AFP shortly afterwards.
Duterte was in Davao on Friday but was not near the market when the explosion occurred, according to his aides.
They said he went straight into meetings with security chiefs following the blast.
Leads
Duterte disclosed there are leads to pinpoint responsibility. However, he would not confirm if the bombing is linked to his all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). But he said it is easy to pinpoint the ASG since the group forewarned to hold retaliatory actions in Mindanao.
The President did not discount the bombing was the handiwork of drug syndicates. He also mentioned the Maute group members who escaped from prison in Lanao.
He stressed that it would be parochial to just point to one group because terrorism is everywhere.
At least 15 dead, 69 injured
The number of persons who died in the explosion at Roxas night market rose to 15 as five more died in the hospital after the initial count of 10 who died on the spot at the crowded night market on Friday.
Around 69 were injured in the explosion shortly past 10 p.m Friday at the Roxas night market near Ateneo de Davao University, according to Davao City Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Catherine Dela Rey.
However, Dela Rey said they have no initial findings of the type of explosive device. She said it is only the Explosive and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) which can confirm further details of the post blast report.
Dela Rey said investigation is still ongoing.
The Roxas night market incident was the fifth bomb explosion in Davao City.
In 1991, two grenades were lobbed inside the San Pedro Cathedral.
In 2003, a bomb ripped through the arrival waiting shed of the old Davao International Airport Sasa Port on March 4 that left about 30 dead. In the same year, a bomb exploded at Sasa Wharf on April 2 with at least 40 dead.
This was followed by another blast at Ecoland Terminal leaving one person dead.
All explosions were linked to the Mindanao conflict.
The explosions happened during the term of then Mayor, now President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Such incidents were behind his passion of ending the Mindanao conflict and bringing peace in the troubled parts of Mindanao. (with reports from PNA, Eagle News Service, AFP)