THE government is getting closer to solving the September 2 bombing of the Davao city market based on initial police investigation and President Rodrigo Duterte’s promise of a “day of reckoning” for the bombers.
It will be 10 days by Monday since the Davao City night market explosion that killed 14 people, and seven days since the declaration of a state of national emergency. People are looking forward to a resolution to the bombing investigation so the declaration of a state of national emergency could be withdrawn.
No constitutional guarantees have been violated by the declaration of a national emergency, but the country seems to be on a wait-and-see position until closure could be reached over the market bombing.
The report as of Saturday was on investigators finding a link between Talitay, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Abdulwahab Sabal and the bombing. Sabal was arrested with three others in a drug bust last week. He was among those named by Duterte in a list of government officials allegedly involved in the drug trade.
After his arrest, Sabal was placed under the custody of the police anti-illegal drugs group in Camp Crame. He has denied any part in the deadly blast.
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa earlier said they were investigating the possibility that drug lords paid the Abu Sayyaf group to stage the market bombing. The Abu Sayyaf, a group known for killing soldiers and staging kidnap-for-ransom operations, had owned the bombing as retaliation for attacks on its stronghold. Dela Rosa said the government’s war against drugs may be the cause of the bombing. Drug lords have the resources to pay those who could commit such a crime, he added.
No one has been arrested for direct involvement in the bombing despite the Davao City government’s raising of the reward from P2 million to P3 million for information to lead to the arrest of culprits.
It was after the bombing that President Duterte issued Proclamation no. 55, declaring a state of national emergency "to suppress lawless violence in Mindanao and prevent it from spreading all over the country."
With no resolution yet to the case, no arrests except for a sketch of a suspect’s face, and raising the possibility of a Sabal link, it seems the President’s declaration would remain in effect for some more days.
Duterte said Saturday there will be a “day of reckoning” for the bombers. He cannot tell when as "it's too early to be talking about it," but that time would come.
The sooner that “reckoning” comes, the better so government could end the state of national emergency that has constitutional experts and lawyers watchful for violations of rights.
Only when the persons who ordered the bombing or who paid criminals to do it for them are arrested can there be resolution and an end to conspiracy theories on who were responsible.
(ninicab@sunstar.com.ph)