President Rodrigo R. Duterte talks to a wounded victim of the Davao City bombing incident during his visit at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.
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The state of lawlessness is not a martial law, but police and the military are authorized to search cars and frisk people at checkpoints, the state Philippines News Agency reported.
Duterte was at a meeting some 12 km (7.5 miles) away from downtown Davao when the explosion occurred. “I have this duty to protect the country”.
They failed to reveal any findings from their first investigation.
TV footage showed plastic chairs strewn about at the scene of the blast, where witnesses said the bodies of some of the dead lay scattered a few hours after the explosion.
The President, who was in this area at the time of the attack, has declared a “state of lawlessness”.
Mr Christian Ablan, presidential communications assistant secretary, said the move allowed the country’s security forces to take tougher measures to suppress “all forms of lawless violence” on the restive southern island of Mindanao and prevent it from spreading elsewhere across the country.
Rumours have swirled in recent days of a plot to assassinate Duterte, 71, which he has shrugged off as part of his job.
More than 2,000 people have died in the war on crime, and Duterte has vowed he will not let up until drugs are eliminated from society.
Mr Duterte’s spokesman, Ernesto Abella, warned the public to be vigilant and avoid crowds. He typically spends his weekends in Davao.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea disclosed Duterte signed the proclamation before he left Davao City late on Monday afternoon for Laos to attend the annual summit of leaders of the Association Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and their dialogue partners including the US, Russia, China and India.
Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the bomb appeared to have been made from a mortar round and doctors reported numerous victims had shrapnel wounds.
However, he said the campaign against illegal drugs will continue in spite of the criticism.
“To everyone, we just wanted to let you know that we need your help”, said Mayor Sara Duterte.
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Some commanders of the Abu Sayyaf, which is blacklisted by the United States and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for deadly bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings, have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
