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Duterte signs proclamation of state of national emergency in the Philippines

Abu Sayyaf, a Philippine group notorious for acts of piracy, kidnappings and beheadings, had claimed responsibility for the attack, although police said they were still trying to authenticate the claim.

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At least 60 people were injured and 30 were taken to hospital. “I have this duty to protect this country”.

Duterte said there were no confirmed suspects for the attack in the southern city of Davao just before 11:00pm (1500 GMT) on Friday, although he named two Islamic militant groups and drug lords as the potential culprits. They did not reveal any findings from their initial investigation.

Duterte-Carpio said the money, which came from the funds of the city government, would be given in exchange for any information leading to the arrest of those behind the blast.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion, with conflicting eyewitness reports about what happened.

Duterte’s office has said that his proclamation was based on an article in the country’s Constitution that puts its leader in charge of armed forces.

Rumours have swirled in recent days of a plot to assassinate Duterte, 71, which he has shrugged off as part of his job.

His election has prompted a spike in drug-related killings, with more than 2,000 deaths since he took office on 30 June, almost half of them in police operations.

Asked on Thursday about death threats, his spokesman, Ernesto Abella said: “He eats that for breakfast, it’s not something new”.

Investigators have found shards and fragments of a homemade bomb on the blast site. He typically spends his weekends in Davao.

He said AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya has placed the entire AFP on red alert, directing all area commanders to coordinate with their counterparts at the PNP.

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Despite the emergency, Duterte said he would proceed with trips to Brunei, Laos and Indonesia starting Sunday, but a Department of Foreign Affairs official later told The Associated Press that the Brunei leg of Duterte’s first foreign visits has been postponed.

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Duterte will meet Barack Obama at a regional summit in Laos on Tuesday, although he has made it clear he will take no lecture on human rights from the U.S. president.

Philippines market bomb attack in President Rodrigo Duterte's home city kills 12