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Davao Blast Forces Philippine President to Cancel Brunei Visit
September 4th, 2016 | 06:09 AM | 900 views
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has cancelled his official visit to Brunei Darussalam scheduled for today and tomorrow following a deadly explosion in his hometown Davao City, Philippine media reported yesterday.
At least 14 have been killed while 67 others have been confirmed wounded in the blast at the city's busy night market on Friday. The president on Saturday morning placed the whole country under a "state of lawlessness" following the explosion.
Duterte's visit to Brunei would have been his first trip outside the country after assuming office as the new president of the Philippines.
The president, however, will push through with his official trip to Vientiane, Laos to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit from September 6-8.
Meanwhile the Philippine Embassy website in Brunei Darussalam also informed the Filipino community that the working visit of its President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Brunei Darussalam has been postponed due to 'pressing matters' in the Philippines.
According to earlier schedule, the Duterte was supposed to attend a gathering with theFilipino community in Brunei at the Indoor Stadium in Berakas today.
According to news reports, Duterte has made peace and order his top priority, launching a war on crime that has claimed more than 2,000 lives.
After the blast, Duterte declared a national "state of lawlessness", which his security adviser said gave the military extra powers to conduct law enforcement operations normally done only by the police.
Philippine Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Saturday he is not sure yet if Duterte will proceed with his trip to Indonesia after the Asean Summit.
Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM
by BruDirect.com
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