ALBAY Rep. Edcel Lagman on Monday said there was no necessity for President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a state of lawlessness following the blast in Davao City’s Roxas Avenue night market that claimed 14 lives.

In an interview, Lagman also warned that the declaration of lawless violence may pave the way for the declaration of martial law and the suspension of writ of habeas corpus.

“It is not legally necessary to make a declaration of lawless violence. Even without that declaration, we are sending wrong signals. It would alarm the people that there could be a tendency of the president exercising extraordinary powers under the Constitution, like the declaration of martial law or suspension of writ of habeas corpus,” Lagman said.

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