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Roundup: Duterte to push through with ASEAN trip: official

Xinhua, September 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told ABSCBN News Channel television interview Saturday morning that President Rodrigo Duterte will push through with his trip to Brunei, Indonesia and Laos where he will attend the Asean summit.

Andanar said that the decision was made after an "emergency meeting" with some Cabinet members, police and military officers in Davao City after the deadly blast in Davao City Friday night that killed 14 and wounded 67 others.

"That's the general assessment that internally, meaning domestically in our country, and also internationally," Andanar said.

A powerful explosion rocked a crowded night market late Friday in Davao City, the hometown of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

The explosion went off around 10:30 p.m. along Roxas Avenue, a place that is converted into a night market. People crowd the street at night to eat in affordable eateries that serve grilled food.

Duterte was in the presidential guesthouse in Panacan village, some 15 kilometers away when the explosion happened, his aides said.

The tough-talking Philippine leader, who had been mayor in the city of 1.2 million people for over 20 years before winning the presidency last May, was expected to go to the site of the incident, officials said.

Andanar said that initial police investigators showed that "the shrapnels came out of an improvised mortar used as an explosive device."

"We are not ruling out the other possibilities until the investigation is done," he said.

Andanar said the police reported to Duterte that at least 14 were killed and 67 were wounded in the Friday's blast.

Duterte has ordered an all out military offensive against the extreme group Abu Sayyaf in retaliation against the killing of 15 government troops in fierce fighting against the group in the south.

Andanar said the attack "is either a reprisal of the terrorists in Jolo, Sulu due to the government's operations or wars against terrorism there or the second possibility could be the reprisal of the drug lords."

Since he assumed the presidency on June 30, about 2,000 people have been killed in the Philippines in its war on drugs. The blast took place amidst reports that there are groups who are out to assassinate Duterte who is now waging bloody war against illicit drugs.

Andanar said Duterte has already ordered the police and military to set up check points all over Davao City. Endit