The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is ready to fulfill any task after President Rodrigo Duterte declared a “state of lawlessness” following the bombing attack in Davao City where 14 people were killed and 60 others were wounded Friday night.
“The AFP is prepared to undertake any task that will be issued in regard to the declaration of ‘state of lawlessness’ by the Commander-in-Chief, President Rodrigo Duterte,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo told PNA Saturday.
Earlier, Duterte declared the “state of lawlessness” in Davao City but expanded it to cover the entire country, authorizing the police and military to conduct security searches in cars and frisk individuals at checkpoints.
Duterte clarified that the “state of lawlessness” is not martial law and does not involve the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
Arevalo said the “continuing directive” of AFP Chief-of-Staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya to all military personnel is to be vigilant and ready for any eventuality.
He said the AFP condoles with the families of the victims of the explosion and that the Davao City-based Eastern Mindanao Command is helping its police counterparts restore normalcy by securing the area and assisting medical responders attend to the victims.
“The reports about the explosion are still sketchy. We call for sobriety and for the people to stay calm and refrain from any speculation so as not to exacerbate the situation,” he added.
