2016 Davao City bombing

2016 Davao City bombing
Part of the Moro conflict

Memorial unveiled dedicated to the victims of the bombing.
Davao City
Davao City (Philippines)
Location Roxas Night Market, Roxas Avenue Davao City, Philippines
Coordinates 7°11′27″N 125°27′19″E / 7.1907°N 125.4553°E / 7.1907; 125.4553Coordinates: 7°11′27″N 125°27′19″E / 7.1907°N 125.4553°E / 7.1907; 125.4553
Date 2 September 2016
22:17[1] (PST)
Target Civilians
Attack type
 Bombings
Weapons Improvised explosive device
Deaths 15
Non-fatal injuries
 70
Suspected perpetrators
 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Abu Sayyaf or Maute Group

A bombing at a night market occurred in Davao City, Southern Philippines, on 2 September 2016, causing at least 14 deaths and 70 injuries.[1] On 13 September 2016, one of those injured, a pregnant woman, died, bringing the death toll up to 15.[2]

Militant Islamic group Abu Sayyaf reportedly claimed responsibility for the bombing but later denied responsibility, claiming that their allies, the Daulat Ul-Islamiya, were responsible for the incident as a show of sympathy to the group. Disgruntled vendors are also being considered as possible perpetrators.

On October 2, 2016, three of the ten suspects were arrested. The arrested are linked to the Maute Group which has ties with the Abu Sayyaf.

Background

On 28 August 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to destroy Abu Sayyaf,[3] after the bandit group beheaded an 18-year-old boy on 22 August 2016, when the victim's family failed to pay ransom.[4]

Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte received a bomb threat two days before the incident stating that an attack will occur either in General Santos or Davao City. Duterte opted not to release the info to the public citing that the bomb threat also told him not to publicize the threat. Recently, he also announced an earlier bomb threat that was then yet to be verified and was criticized for it.[5]

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio had previously ordered the popular night market to be closed due to "a number of violations and complaints".[6] It however reopened on 13 August following meetings with the vendors and provided that all vendors follow stricter rules set by the city government.[7]

Attacks

The bombing took place around 22:17 PST at a night market along Roxas Avenue in the city's central business district, some 100 meters from the main campus of the Ateneo de Davao University.[1] Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte issued a statement shortly after the attacks to confirm the report on the number of casualties. He also said it was too early to tell who may be behind the explosion and assured the public that the authorities are on top of the incident.[8]

At the Command Conference of the Police Region Office 11 in Davao the night following the incident, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa confirmed that the Davao blast was a terror attack and that an improvised explosive device was used.[9]

Suspected perpetrators

The Islamist militant group Abu Sayyaf, through its spokesman, reportedly claimed responsibility for the alleged bombing as it called on the mujahideen in the country to unite against the Armed Forces of the Philippines.[10] The group later denied the reports by saying that it was their allies, the Daulat Ul-Islamiya responsible for the explosion saying that the Daulat's actions was to sympathize with the Abu Sayyaf. Its spokesman said that the attacks will not stop unless Duterte were to adopt the hadith as law of the country and he himself seek conversion to Islam.[11]

Before the attack, the terrorist group reportedly vowed retaliation against the Philippine government for launching a major offensive against it recently in Sulu.[8]

Southern Mindanao police director, Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan said that authorities are looking into the possibility that "disgruntled vendors" were responsible for the blast. Other groups were being investigated by authorities as possible perpetrators. Gaerlan noted that is possible that any group can claim responsibility for the explosion to boost their own popularity.[11]

The City Government of Davao has offered 3 million pesos bounty for the eventual arrest of the perpetrators.[12] Two million pesos will be given for those who can give information on the whereabouts of the bombing suspects, while another 1 million pesos will be given for those who can arrest and bring the suspects to the authorities.[13]

Individuals

The Philippine National Police's investigation remarked the similarities of the IED used in the bombing to the one used by Abdul Manap Mentang at the 2005 Valentine's Day bombings which was also detonated at the night market. Like in the 2005 bombings, the 2016 bombings used an IED is a mortar shell and fitted with a remote detonator. This finding caused the police to suspect that Mentang, who was at large at the time of the explosion, may be directly involved in the 2016 bombings.[14]

As of 5 September, the PNP had three "persons of interest" in connection with the bombings based from testimonies from witnesses. One of these three persons is a medium-built male in his 40s who was seen leaving a bag under a massage table. The two other persons of interest are female.[14]

On October 4, 2016, three men who are linked to the Maute Group were arrested through the joint efforts of the police and armed forces and were presented to the media on October 7. The men were TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, Wendel Apostol Facturan, and Musali Mustapha. Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that the Maute Group has already established links with the Abu Sayaff and that there are "indications" that the group is aligning themselves with ISIS. There are seven other suspects which were yet to be arrested.[15]

Reactions

Domestic

Government
President Rodrigo Duterte visits a bombing victim at the Southern Philippines Medical Center on September 3, 2016

The Philippine National Police has placed all of its units nationwide under full alert following the attack[16] while the Davao City Police Office has also set up a hotline specifically for use of the victims' relatives.[17]

President Rodrigo Duterte declared a "state of emergency on account of lawless violence" in the Philippines as the whole city of Davao was placed on lockdown.[18] Under the declaration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines are given the authority to conduct law enforcement operations normally done by the Philippine National Police, but unlike martial law, the writ of habeas corpus is not suspended.[19] While no nationwide curfew has been imposed, residents were advised to stay indoors as police and soldiers set up checkpoints and search vehicles and houses.[18] Duterte also cancelled a scheduled state visit to Brunei that would have taken place from 4 to 5 September.[20]

Non-state parties

On 4 September 2016, the Communist Party of the Philippines has accused the United States of instigating the bomb attack. In a statement, Siegfried Red of the CPP's Southern Mindanao Regional Party Committee claimed Washington planned the bombing to derail the peace talks between communists and the Duterte administration.[21] The communist group has accused the Central Intelligence Agency in particular with collaborating with critics of the peace talks, ultra-rightists groups linked to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and drug lords.[14]

International

States

The United States through the US National Security Council expressed readiness to coordinate with local authorities regarding the investigation of the incident and offered condolences to the relatives of the victims of the blast.[22] Australia,[23] Brunei,[24] Cambodia,[25] China,[26] France,[27] Indonesia,[28] Japan,[29] Malaysia,[30] Singapore,[31] South Korea,[32] Spain[33] and Vietnam[34] also expressed their condolences and condemning the attack.[35] Similarly, Israel, through their embassy in the country expressed condolences to the victims and wishes speedy recovery to the injured.[36]

The governments of Canada, China, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States issued travel warnings to its citizens,[27][37] while Australia reiterates its travel warning in the area.[23]

Others

Human rights group Amnesty International acknowledged the tragedy and extended its condolences to the victims.[38]

Facebook activated its Safety Check feature hours after the bombing.[39]

Other bombings

Two separate bomb attacks struck North Cotabato and South Cotabato provinces on Saturday.[40][41]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Julliane Love de Jesus (8 September 2016). "Davao blast suspect identified, Bato says". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  2. ↑ Ben O. Tesiorna (13 September 2016). "Pregnant Davao bombing victim dies in hospital; death toll rises to 15". CNN Philippines. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  3. ↑ Elena L. Aben (28 August 2016). "Destroy Abu Sayyaf, Duterte orders gov't security forces". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  4. ↑ Cynthia D. Balana (26 August 2016). "Abus behead teenage captive". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Karlos Manlupig (3 September 2016). "Vice Mayor Duterte got info on bomb threat 2 days ago". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "Inday Sara orders closure of Davao night market". The Philippine Star. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  7. ↑ Ace June Rell S. Perez (15 August 2016). "Roxas night market re-opens". Sun Star. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 Karlos Manlupig (2 September 2016). "At least 10 dead, dozens wounded in Davao night market blast". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  9. ↑ B. Cupin (3 September 2016). "PNP chief: IED caused Davao blast". Rappler. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  10. ↑ P. Esmaquel (3 September 2016). "Abu Sayyaf claims responsibility for Davao blast – report". Rappler. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  11. 1 2 Allan Nawal; Julie Alipala; Karlos Manlupig (3 September 2016). "Abu Sayyaf disowns Davao explosion, says ally was behind attack". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Davao City Government ups bounty to P3M". Sun.Star Davao. September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ Ina Andolong (5 September 2016). "Sara Duterte offers ₱2-million reward for arrest of Davao blast perpetrators". CNN Philippines. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 Allan Nawal; Karlos Manlupig (5 September 2016). "Davao City bomb 'similar' to 2005 Ecoland IED – PNP chief". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  15. ↑ Tan, Kimberly Jane. "'Maute Group' men arrested over Davao City blast". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Julliane Love de Jesus (3 September 2016). "'Bato' places PNP on full alert nationwide after Davao explosion". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "Davao police provides hotline number for families of Davao blast victims". GMA News. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Duterte declares state of lawlessness in PH". Rappler. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Government clarifies state of lawlessness order". Sun Star. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  20. ↑ Patricia Lourdes Viray (3 September 2016). "Duterte cancels Brunei trip after Davao blast". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  21. ↑ "Reds blame US for Davao bombing". ABS-CBN News. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  22. ↑ Nestor Corrales (3 September 2016). "US ready to aid PH in Davao explosion probe". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  23. 1 2 "US, Australia condole with victims of Davao explosion". Rappler. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  24. ↑ Rabiatul Kamit (4 September 2016). "HM sends condolences to Philippine president". The Brunei Times. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  25. ↑ "Cambodian PM strongly condemns terrorist attack in Philippines". Xinhua News Agency. China.org.cn. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  26. ↑ "Chinese leaders denounce Davao blast". The Filipino Times. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  27. 1 2 Pia Lee-Brago (5 September 2016). "EU, France condemn bombing; travel alerts out". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  28. ↑ "No Indonesian Casualties Reported in Philippine Bomb Blast". Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  29. ↑ "Message From Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to President Duterte on the Bombing Incident". Embassy of Japan in the Philippines. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  30. ↑ "Malaysia condemns Davao City attack". Bernama. The Malay Mail. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  31. ↑ "Singapore condemns Davao bombing". The Straits Times. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  32. ↑ "S. Korea condemns terrorist attack in Davao City, Philippines". Yonhap News Agency. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  33. ↑ Michael Joe T. Delizo (6 September 2016). "Spain, UN condemn Davao attack". The Manila Times. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  34. ↑ "Vietnam strongly condemns bomb attack in southern Philippines". Vietnam News Agency. Vietnam Net. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  35. ↑ Dana Sioson (6 September 2016). "UN, foreign governments condemn Davao bombing". Asian Journal. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  36. ↑ "Israel in the Philippines – Timeline – Facebook".
  37. ↑  • Estrella Torres (3 September 2016). "Davao bombing prompts warnings on travel to PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
     • "China Embassy Issues Travel Warning Amid Recent Blast in Philippines". Sputnik News. 5 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
     • "Yellow travel alert issued for Philippines' Davao". China News Agency. The China Post. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  38. ↑ Karmela Tordecilla (3 September 2016). "Senators, U.S. condemn Davao blast". CNN Philippines. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  39. ↑ Pia Garcia (3 September 2016). "Facebook's 'Safety Check' enabled after Davao blast". CNN Philippines. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  40. ↑ "2 blasts jolt Mindanao after Davao bombing". ABS-CBN News. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  41. ↑ "Two blasts hit Mindanao after Davao City bombing — reports". Philippine Daily Inquirer. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/17/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.