President Rodrigo R. Duterte has placed the country under a
"state of lawlessness" authorizing 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.
Any punitive actions 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.
Duterte said declaration has something to do with protecting
the country and people given his intensified drugs operation, extrajudicial
killings and terrorism not only in Davao but
other places especially in Mindanao . 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
"But I am declaring the entire country on alert,"
he added.
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.
Death toll
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 Sasa Wharf
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 .
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=919702
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.