Davao Mayor Duterte: Roxas Night Market open tonight

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte said the city's Roxas Night Market will open Saturday night despite the deadly bombing that left 14 people dead and more than 60 others injured.

"We both agree, the President and I, sa pag-uusap namin ni [Presidential Management Staff Secretary] Bong Go , na business will continue for Davao City and the night market will open tonight," Mayor Duterte told 24 Oras in an interview, which aired before 7 p.m.

The mayor had just led a memorial for the victims of the Friday night blast on Roxas Avenue.

She said that Davao City is "standing up now, not tomorrow, but right now" because they believe that the "measure of success of terrorism is how long a victim stands up" after an attack.

"It will take a hundred bomb incidents in Davao City to put us down," Mayor Duterte said.

She said that based on the latest count by the authorities, a total of 67 people were injured in the blast.

She added that based on initial results of the post-blast investigation by the police, an improvised explosive device was used in the attack.

Mayor Duterte also said that he had been informed by Go through text that the bombing was a retaliatory attack by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The military had deployed 7,000 troops to Sulu as it implements President Duterte's order to "destroy" the bandit group.

The mayor said that her office and the city police have been informed of the possibility of an attack by the Abu Sayyaf as early as August. She added that the threat from the bandit group increased after the all-out offensive by the military.

On the spot inspection

During the interview, Mayor Duterte said that all high-value targets in the city are being secured by the police force and Task Force Davao.

She said "people can still come in and out" of the city, but they should expect a heavier presence of policemen on the streets and stricter inspections.

She added that the police and military in the city have been ordered to conduct on the spot inspections on suspicous individuals.

"'Pag may pinagduduhan na tao, ang dala niya, puwede na nilang i-search na.
Kung wala naman itinatago ang tao, we expect them na papayag na," she said. —ALG, GMA News