Under state of emergency, respect for people's rights among Palace directives

The guidelines for the implementation of Proclamation No. 55 or the declaration of state of national emergency has been released by  Malacañang on Tuesday evening.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire country under a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao after the deadly bombing incident in Davao City last Friday evening wherein 14 were killed and about 70 were injured.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who is the caretaker of the government while President Rodrigo Duterte is attending the ASEAN Summit, issued several directives under the yet-to-be-numbered memorandum order.

The Department of National Defense (DND) and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) are tasked to coordinate the immediate deployment of additional forces of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to suppress lawless violence and terror acts in Mindanao and prevent them from spreading and escalating elsewhere in the country.

Law enforcement officers will be deployed on major streets and thoroughfares and crowded places such as malls and train stations.

The security forces will intensify local and transnational intelligence operations against suspected individuals or groups committing lawless violence and terror acts.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), meanwhile, will coordinate with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies for the prompt investigation and prosecution of all individuals and groups apprehended for committing or conspiring to commit acts of lawless violence.

Local government units are enjoined to give their full support and cooperation in the implementation of the order.

Amid the call to action, the AFP and PNP are to respect the Constitutional rights of every individual at all times.

The AFP and PNP personnel found violating constitutional rights will be held administratively and civilly/criminally liable.

The guidelines are to take effect immediately after Medialdea signs the memorandum order. — BAP, GMA News