SENATOR Leila de Lima has condemned the recent bombing in Davao City and described the incident as "an act of terrorism of those individual without any conscience."
"This is not only a terrorist act, but a violation of international humanitarian law as a war crime consisting of an attack on a civilian population, specifically if perpetrated by a terrorist rebel group like the Abu Sayyaf. Those responsible for this bombing are not only terrorists, they are also war criminals." De Lima said in a press statement.
The Senator has also given her legal opinion on the President's declaration of State of Lawlessness.
"[U]nder such a declaration, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is given law enforcement tasks that usually pertain to the PNP (Philippine National Police) as the civilian law enforcement agency of the government. It does not give either agency additional powers beyond what is allowed under the Constitution. It is merely a force augmentation of the PNP in order to help it respond to the lawless violence." De Lima said.
She also reminded the present leadership to calibrate its response in accordance with the threat to national security that they represent and to be clear on who the real enemies of the State are.
According to her, it is necessary for the Duterte administration to be precise and to look into the real culprit by using correct verification and proper validation to make sure that innocent people will be spared and democracy will not be sacrificed.
"As the reality of this dangerous tendency holds in the different parts of the world where terrorism has taken root and struck, of the State turning against its own citizens in the fight against terrorism, our leaders must always be clear, to the people and, more importantly, to themselves -- the enemy is terrorism, not democracy. " De Lima said. (Sunnex)