GOVERNMENT forces have launched a manhunt for four “persons of interest” who may have had a hand in the Davao City night market bombing that killed 14 people and injured dozens. Experts say that there is no evidence, however, that Islamic State is actively supporting Abu Sayyaf.
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Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that the bomb appeared to have been made from a mortar round and that doctors reported numerous victims had shrapnel wounds. In her nine years in Malacanang from 2001 to 2010, she said she had resorted to similar declarations, but within the bounds of the Constitution.
She said it would “be better” if the state of lawlessness can stop the street killings and terrorist attacks.
“The closest is the problem we are facing in Sulu and Basilan right now”.
National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana blamed the Philippines Islamist extremist group Abu Sayyaf for the attack; a presidential spokesman said that parts of an improvised explosive device were found at the scene.
“President Duterte knows all the lessons because he was helping me a lot during my time”.
“The campaign against illegal drugs has yielded an unprecedented number of “surrenderees”: more than 600,000″, said the glossy pamphlet, which features various photographs of Mr Duterte, including one of him attending the funeral of a senior police officer allegedly shot dead by a drug peddler.
He has said that the explosion was in retaliation for the military operation against the group in their stronghold in Jolo.
PHILIPPINE authorities said Sunday that they wished to question three people over the Friday night bombing at a busy night market in Davao City.
Earlier, Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, a leader of the opposition at the House, said the declaration of a state of lawlessness “appears to be legally unnecessary, even as it is alarming”.
Duterte commanded the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to undertake measures to suppress all forms of lawless violence in Mindanao and to prevent it from spreading across the Philippines.
Kristian Ablan said the proclamation “technically took effect today and remains in force until lifted by the President”.
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Police chief Ronald dela Rosa has also regularly said the unexplained deaths are due to drug syndicates waging war against each other, rather than extrajudicial killings by vigilantes and others. “State violence begets violence by non-state actors”, he added.
