MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of a state of

lawless violence or lawlessness is the first in recent Philippine history given its coverage.
A state of lawless violence was once declared in 2003 by then President Gloria MacapagalArroyo, but this was limited to Davao City.
President Duterte on early Saturday, September 3, said it was a nationwide declaration. He
did not indicate if it's for a limited period of time only.
His presidential spokesman said the limit is such that "he can only call out the armed forces
to suppress the lawless violence."
"It is a different case from the existence of invasion or rebellion," explained Presidential
Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement. "Only if there is invasion or rebellion, and when
public safety requires it, can he (Duterte) suspend the writ of habeas corpus or declare
martial law."
Hours after Duterte's statement, Malacaang officials clarified that the declaration only
covered Mindanao. Yet, they changed their minds again shortly past 10 am Saturday to
stress that it's nationwide.
The Executive Secretary will be issuing a "definitive statement" on the matter on Saturday,
they said.
An explosion hit the Roxas night market in Davao City Friday night, killing at least 14.
(READ: Davao bombing: Man leaves backpack after massage)
This prompted the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the military to declare a red alert
nationwide.
Duterte assured the public that what he declared is not martial law and that there would
be no suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
What it simply means, he said, is that more soldiers and policemen will now be deployed,
government will set up more checkpoints, and impose, if needed, curfews in certain areas.

The 1987 Constitution allows the President to call on the armed forces "to prevent or
suppress lawless violence."
Section 18, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution states: "The President shall be the
Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it becomes
necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence,
invasion or rebellion."
Duterte's declaration is similar to previous presidential declarations of state of emergency,
lawyers told Rappler. (READ: Making sense of Duterte's declaration of state of lawlessness)
Mildest form
It is the "mildest" of the 3 commander-in-chief powers of the President granted by the
Constitution, they said.
The second and stronger power is the power to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas
corpus, which allows the state to arrest and jail anyone without trial.
The 3rd and strongest power is to declare martial law.
Lawyers said that Duterte should be specific and formalize his declaration so that law
enforcers are given strict parameters for its implementation.
"It is not the label of proclamation but the modalities of execution that characterizes the
declaration," said a judge who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Military, police visibility
Persida Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney's Office, told radio dzMM that more cops and
soldiers will now be deployed in "vital posts, vital areas," such as telecommunication towers.
"Makikita mo na hindi nasa barracks lang ang ating mga pulis at military," Acosta said. (You
will see them operating outside the barracks.)
Curfews will be imposed when and where necessary, Acosta said.

Duterte himself already announced a lockdown in Davao City, allowing soldiers to search
vehicles and people as government pursues the perpetrators of the explosion.
PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he took the order to mean that the police
should help in "suppressing any form of lawlessness such as terror attacks."
The PNP has ordered all units to be "on full alert," he told reporters in La Union on Saturday.
He also stressed that authorities cannot simply arrest anyone. "This is not martial law."
The PNP is already on full alert nationwide. "All RDs are directed to strengthen and fortify all
police stations, detachments and camps to be double alert. Likewise, coordinate with all intel
and friendly units in your areas and exercise extreme caution in conducting checkpoints,"
Chief Superintendent Camilo Pancratius Cascolan said in a memorandum to the PNP's
regional directors.
Policemen in the mega capital were ordered to "set up checkpoints where deemed
necessary and maximize security and presence in all vital installations, malls, churches, MRT
and LRT stations, and all places of convergence," according to PNP Metro Manila chief Chief
Superintendent Oscar Albayalde.
In a statement Saturday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said they were ready to
implement the Presidents declaration. The AFP is likewise on full alert, especially in Metro
Manila. (READ: AFP on heightened alert in Metro Manila)
"The continuing directive by the AFP chief of staff General Ricardo Visaya has been for our
personnel to be vigilant and ready for any eventuality," the statement added.
But Dela Rosa and Visaya also appealed for calm.
Arroyo's state of lawlessness in Davao City
The last time a Philippine president declared a state of lawless violence was in 2003,
ironically in Davao City, a response of then President Arroyo to bombings outside 3 mosques
that had occurred hours before she was set to visit the city.
Arroyo's declaration, however, was limited to the city.

Arroyo also declared a nationwide state of emergency 3 years later, in February 2006 for a
limited period of 7 days. Arroyo lifted it on March 3, 2006.
This was an offshoot of a failed coup attempt against her. The state of emergency had led,
among others, to the revocation of all permits to hold demonstrations and protests.
Earlier in May 2001, Arroyo declared a "state of rebellion" in Metro Manila following the
attack of supporters of former president Joseph Estrada, who was recently ousted at the
time, on Malacaang, according to a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report.
After the December 1989 coup that came close to toppling her, the late president Corazon
Aquino also declared a national emergency, the PCIJ added.
The September 2, 2016 explosion at the Roxas night market in Davao City followed a series
of gun battles in Sulu that have claimed the lives of 15 Army troops.
The President has pledged to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf, which is behind the spate of
kidnappings in Western Mindanao and which has claimed responsibility for the Davao
explosion.
The military has already deployed about 8,000 troops in Sulu alone, the biggest provincial
armed deployment by the state in years. Rappler.com

President Rodrigo Duterte early Saturday declared a state of lawlessness or a state of

lawless violence to counter terrorism and strengthen the campaign against illegal-drug
trade.
Speaking in a televised interview, he clarified its not martial law but it would require
nationwide, well-coordinated efforts of the military and the police.
I have this duty to protect the country. I have this duty to keep intact the integrity of the
nation, he added.
There will be major checkpoints, he said.
Around 4 a.m. Saturday, Duterte visited the site of the explosion at the Davao City night
market that had left 14 dead and 67 wounded, based on the latest police reports.
READ: 14 dead, 67 hurt in Davao blastpolice

This is not the first time Davao has been sacrificed in the altar of violence, he added,
citing there have been terrorist acts in the past.
He considered the incident a police matter, not a war.
He said such thing happened because Davao is not under a fascist state.
Everybody can come in and out of Davao, he said. Davao is safe, there is no criminality
here except terrorism.
He ordered the police and the military to conduct searches and set up checkpoints in the
city.
Asked for his message his Davao residents, he said keep calm.
The government is with you. We will protect everyone, he said. With a report from
Anthony Esguerra/INQUIRER.net

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Monday a
proclamation putting the country under a state of emergency on account of lawless violence.
Duterte signed the document before flying off to Laos for the Asean summit.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Asec. Kristian Ablan said the proclamation
"technically took effect today and remains in force until lifted by the President."
Duterte made a verbal announcement of declaring a state of lawlessness nationwide on the
wee hours of Saturday morning hours after a night market blast killed 14 in his hometown
Davao City. He said he would later put this into formal writing.
Also read: Davao City blast caused by cellphone-triggered IED
Ablan said the declaration commands the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the
Philippine National Police (PNP) to undertake measures permitted by the Constitution and

laws to suppress all forms of lawless violence in Mindanao and prevent lawless violence
from spreading elsewhere across the country.
He said the State of National Emergency on account of lawless violence would give "due
regard to fundamental and civil political rights" and would have nothing to do with martial
law or the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
"It's just a stepped-up campaign of the police and the military to to ensure the safety of the
general public," the Palace official said.
For his part, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said a copy of the proclamation had yet
to be released.
Checks and balance
Meanwhile, Sen. Dick Gordon on Sunday allayed fears of another martial law, saying what
the President announced early Saturday morning was different.
Gordon, who heads the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation or
commonly known as the Blue Ribbon Committee, said the Senate would be open to receive
and probe into complaints of abuses of the police or the military under a state of emergency
due to lawlessness.
Read: Panelo: Public should not be alarmed by nationwide declaration of state of
lawless violence
"The Blue Ribbon is empowered to investigate misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance
in office by officers and employees of the government, its branches, agencies, subdivisions
and instrumentalities, and more importantly, any matter of public interest," Gordon said.
"Any citizen who feels he had been aggrieved by the military checkpoints or by any military
man or any member of the government could come to the Blue Ribbon Committee at any
time."
MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire country under a "state of lawlessness"
on Saturday after a bomb attack in Davao City that was claimed by Abu Sayyaf extremists
left scores dead and wounded.

The President's aides said the declaration simply meant that the police could call on the
military to help suppress security threats.
The declaration will not amount to martial law, nor will it lead to the suspension of civil
rights, they said.
The move was also not without precedent. In 2003, then President Gloria Arroyo placed
Davao City under a "state of lawlessness" after successive attacks on the international
airport and Sasa wharf left over two dozen people killed.
READ: Duterte declares 'state of lawlessness'