Duterte planning to declare state of lawlessness before Davao blast —Panelo

President Rodrigo Duterte was planning to declare a "state of lawlessness" even before Friday night's deadly Davao City, his legal adviser said Sunday.

Presidential Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo said that the Davao blast was not a trigger to the President's declaration, which was already in the planning stage before the incident that left over a dozen dead and over 60 wounded. 

"Hindi 'yan nag-trigger. Actually, nasa planning stage na 'yan [declaration]. In fact, nagda-draft na nga kami ng proclamation eh," Panelo told Super Radyo dzBB.

He said said that he and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea had prepared separate drafts for the planned executive order on the state of lawlessness, which was supposed to be released either today, September 4 or Monday, September 5.

Panelo cited four conditions that prompted Duterte to think of issuing an executive order on lawlessness.

These include: the government's campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, terrorism, and the offensive against the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Panelo said that illegal drugs have affected 98 percent of the total number of barangays in the country, and that suspected drug users and pushers could be "potential killers."

"Hindi kasi naniniwala si President Duterte na kung user ka hindi ka pusher. 'Pag user ka kasi kailangan mo ng gamot. Kung ikaw naman ay hindi mayaman, kailangan ka mag-push para makabili. Yung mahihirap ang nagiging daan para sa pag-push kasi wala ngang pera pambili. Ganoon kalawak ngayon ang problema kasi these are potential killers," he said.

Panelo also said that crimes continue despite even as the Philippine National Police had reported that the crime rate has been declining.

He added that acts of terrorism, including those done by the Abu Sayyaf Group, are not just simple criminal activities because these are aimed at sowing fear around the country.

"Yung terorismo isa lang ang pakay niyan, [takutin] ang bayan, maghasik ng lagim at gulo. Malawak din 'yan," Panelo said.

These social conditions convinced Duterte to use the Armed Forces of the Philippines, through his order, to assist the Philippine National Police in its security operations.

"Tinitingnan ni Presidente ang lawak ng problema. Kung kaya pang gawin nang without that ay gagawin ... pero noong nagkaroon pa ng bombahan, talagang kailangan na idekalra dahil kailangan na masawata [ang karahasan]," Panelo said.

He added: "Hindi na kakayanin lang ng PNP. Kailangan gagawa na tayo ng hakbang na medyo magiging strikto ... sa pagliligtas ng mga kababayan natin."

A nationwide problem

Since the four conditions necessitating the declaration of a state of lawlessness are present nationwide, the implementation of Duterte's order is not only confined to Davao City.

"Nationwide dahil yung na-cite kong problema ay nationwide din dahil yung terorismo ay hindi lang nakatutok sa Davao. Kaya, bakit mo ilo-localize ang pagdeklara mo?" he said.

Curfew

In line with the declaration, the implementation of curfew is also being considered.

But he allayed fears that the declaration of a state of lawlessness is a precursor to martial law.

"Kung ang pangamba nila [critics] ay papunta ito sa martial law, hindi. Definitely hindi. Malaking hindi. Hindi rin ito tutungo sa pagsuspinde ng writ of habeas corpus. Malayong malayo tayo doon," he  assured the public.

All citizens can still perform their normal activities with vigilance, he said.

"We can do our normal things everyday. Ang kaibahan lang, magiging alerto tayo kasi maraming banta sa atin. Kung tayo ay nasa public places, kailangan maging observant tayo kapaligiran natin." —LBG/ALG, GMA News