Duterte was prompted to declare state of national emergency in Mindanao and in the entire country, after at least 14 individuals we killed and 67 others were seriously injured in a night market bombing in Davao City.
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The President also warned that reprisals could be expected from terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, who claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Philippine Star newspaper.
Following the bombing incident, President Duterte make his way to visit the wounded civilians admitted in San Pedro Hospital and Davao Medical Center on Saturday morning.
“State of lawlessness merely calls out the military or the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) to do law enforcement operations normally done only by the PNP (Philippine National Police)”.
Medialdea said that the spate of terror attacks like kidnappings, beheadings and finally the Davao night market bombing prodded the President to issue the proclamation. Duterte got upset for the warnings he might get by a questioning by US President Barack Obama, because of the war crimes in the Philippines that in the last two months, might have left more than two thousand dead persons.
In this photo taken on August 30, 2016, shows Philippine soldiers taking their position as they serve as a blocking force, in the town of Paktikul, sulu province in southern island of Mindanao, as they carry out President Duterte’s orders to “destroy” the militants. The military, however, says there has been no evidence of a direct collaboration and the militants’ action may have been aimed at bolstering their image after years of combat setbacks. “Finally, we urge our people to remain calm and continue with their normal lives as we, as a people, go through this test of our resolve to fight terrorism and criminality”, the military official said. The violence killed more than 120 thousand people.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that local authorities in the Philippines continue to investigate the cause of the explosion, and the United States stands ready to provide assistance to the investigation.
Regional police chief Manuel Guerlan said a ring of checkpoints had been placed around the city’s exit points.
Duterte signed the one-page proclamation before boarding his plane to Laos on Monday afternoon in Davao City.
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Gomez reported from Manila, Philippines.
