Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte issued an ultimatum to two “persons of interests” to surrender to authorities until Saturday 3 pm. Authorities are looking for one person who was seen in CCTV footages in both SM and Gaisanom Mall Cinema hours before the blasts, and another person purchasing batteries that was the type used for the bombs. “We would like to talk to you,” the mayor said. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte tells media at the city’s command conference at Grand Men Seng Hotel that intelligence information points to a certain group targeting American firms as possibly behind the bombings of two cinemas last Monday night. The mayor came straight from a flight from South Korea early Tuesday dawn.(davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
Davao City Police Chief Superintendent Ronaldo dela Rosa confirmed (the threats) and added that he had briefed SM Ecoland’s security team few days ago to tighten their watch because of information from intelligence of “terror” threats, but said this one “got away.” “Mainit sila sa American brand (They hate American brand),” dela Rosa said.
Mayor Rody Duterte said he would announce on August 13 if the Kadayawan Festival, the city’s main annual attraction, would push through or be cancelled following security considerations after the bombings in Mindanao. “If the margin of safety is 7.5, we’ll go ahead; but short of that let’s say at 5, we’ll go home and sleep early,” he explained. (davaotoday.com photo by Medel V. Hernani)
TYRONE A. VELEZ Davao Today Bernard Mondragon, spokesperson of Child Alert Mindanao, asked “What did ‘Tokhang’ accomplish?” He said government’s view of ‘gangsterism’ as a peace and order concern shows government failure “to look at why poverty pushes them towards it.”