Some senators express apprehensions while some express support on the president’s declaration of state of lawlessness.
TWO senators expressed apprehensions on President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of “state of lawlessness” in the entire country following the explosion which took place at Davao City night market on September 2, Friday night.
Duterte critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, said in a text message that the declaration of state of lawlessness was “not warranted at this time”. He also said, “What is needed is less big talking and more serious intel (intelligence) work.
He added that the attack to Davao’s night market was a “grim reminder” that the illegal drug problem is not the biggest and only national security threat to the Philippines.
In an interview with the press early Saturday morning, Mr. President said placing the entire Philippines under state of lawlessness simply calls for increased police and military presence in the streets especially in metropolitan cities.
He further explained that the AFP and PNP presence throughout the country is not only for combatting terror threats but also to step up Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs and to curb the recent rise in extrajudicial killings.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon considers the Davao blast as an “isolated incident”.
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