UPDATES THROUGHOUT
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) – An explosion has rocked a night market in a southern Philippines city from which President Rodrigo Duterte hails, killing at least 10 people late Friday.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella was quoted by the Sun.Star website as saying that the confirmed number of fatalities in Davao City stood at 10 while 60 others were injured.
C/Insp. Milgrace Driz of Davao City Police told GMA News that 25 people were reported dead at the Southern Philippines Medical Center
“We are now locking down Davao City with checkpoints,” she said.
According to GMA, Abella said that Duterte, who served as the city’s mayor for 22 years, had already arrived at the scene of the explosion.
Davao City police spokeswoman Sen. Insp. Catherine dela Rey said the explosion took place at around 10.20 p.m. (0220GMT).
Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte — the son of the president who was paying his usual weekend visit to the city — rushed to the site shortly after along with Presidential Executive Staff Bong Go.
They instructed the public to return to their homes and ordered that nearby bars and venues close for the night.
A police investigation is ongoing into the incident, which came just days after police announced they had thwarted a plot to assassinate President Duterte.
Security forces in southern Mindanao island have been tightening security in past days after Daesh-linked militants threatened to launch attacks amid an intensified military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf group.
