DAPITAN CITY, Zamboanga del Norte --- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last night ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to do a crackdown on the lawless elements and terrorists who bombed the Sasa Wharf in Davao City.

The bombing killed 15 persons and injured more than 40 other individuals, according to the latest reports.

The President stressed that the AFP as well as the PNP must take appropriate measures, including the setting up of visible checkpoints, for the arrest of these lawless elements and terrorists. She vowed that they, together with the Davao City airport bombers, will be hunted down and made to face the full force of the law.

The President said the wharf incident is part of the renewed challenge of terrorism she warned about in the past weeks.

"This is a grim reminder that we must always be alert and watchful, and those who wish to do us harm in a manner that creates a wide swath of fear must not intimidate us," the President said.

The President pointed out that the police and military alone cannot do the job. "This is a total war requiring the full attention and resources of the entire community," the President said.

Asked if Mindanao would be placed under a state of emergency, the President replied that only Davao City and Davao Provinces would be declared under a state of lawless violence. "And under a state of lawless violence, I can empower the military to do these crackdowns, and I am doing so," the President said.

DAVAO CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured victims of the April 2 bombing in front of the Philippine Ports Authority wharf at the Sasa district here that "justice will be done."

"A speedy and thorough investigation is in order. The authorities will issue the necessary bulletins as evidence is gathered," said the President during a press briefing at the Marco Polo Hotel here.

The President visited the scene of the bombing that killed 16 people and left 55 others injured.

There was an eerie atmosphere as the President, joined by some members of her Cabinet, stood over the exact spot where the bomb was exploded to offer prayers and flowers to the victims. There were still traces of blood on the scene, and pieces of slippers and footwear lay scattered all around.

The President then proceeded to the Davao Medical Center where 37 of those injured were brought. The others injured were brought to San Pedro Hospital (13), Davao Doctors Hospital (three), Davao Medical Mission (one), and Brokenshire (one).

During the press briefing, the President noted that "the threat of terror will be relentless."

"It will be contained only by the extent of our collective vigilance at all times (because) it will rise and escalate to the extent it can exploit our own complacency," said the President.

The Sasa bombing came less than a month after a bomb ripped through a waiting shed at the airport terminal that left 21 dead and 117 injured.

The President underscored that she had actually started counter terrorism inspections in Metro Manila last week, particularly her surprise check of the security measures being undertaken at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The President, who is coming off a four-day launch of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway from Batangas to Dapiitan in Zamboanga del Norte, also said that she had raised the same warning as she traversed several ports throughout her trip from Luzon to Mindanao.

"Our alertness must be all encompassing, penetrating and nationwide," she said. She likewise emphasized that both the government and the public "cannot leave an opening for the enemy that strikes when it sees us relax our guard."

"We must harden potential targets by demonstrating collective vigilance," said the President, who added that the fight against terrorism is a "total war requiring the full attention and resources of the entire community."

DAVAO CITY— The united Davao community who defied and crushed lawlessness and insurgency here through the Alsa Masa Group in the 80s have again risen to the occasion to support President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of a state of lawless violence in the Davao provinces.

Two bombing incidents within a month of each other in this otherwise peaceful southern city have made Davaoenos both indignant and vigilant.

But other than this, they fully supported the President’s declaration, according to City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

"Anybody who is under fear would welcome such a declaration," he said. "This gives us the legal backing to run after the culprit."

The declaration, an offshoot of Wednesday night’s bombing at the Sasa wharf here that killed at least 16 persons and wounded 55 others, empowered the President to call on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to suppress lawlessness in the Davao area.

Covered under the declaration are Davao City and the provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental.

The President had earlier appointed Duterte as crisis manager for Southern and Central Mindanao (Regions 11 and 12 respectively) in the aftermath of the March 4 bombing at the arrival area of the Davao City International Airport.

Despite the tension brought about by Wednesday night’s bomb blast, people here are not panicking. Earlier, Duterte called on his constituents to remain calm and unfazed by the terrorist attack.

"The target of terrorism is to bring you down to your knees and force you to negotiate," he said. "Deaths are only incidental."

The wharf bomb explosion was the 17^th bombing incident in Mindanao since January and the second to strike this city.

DAVAO CITY—Despite President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of a state of lawless violence here, Davaoenos went about their usual routine, unmindful of Wednesday night’s bomb blast at the Sasa wharf here, the second that rocked the city in a month’s time.

There were no cancelled flights, no abrupt troop movement, no nothing. Only heightened security in the wake of the latest terrorist attack that killed at least 16 people and wounded 55 more.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Jr. liked what he is seeing. "That’s the way things should be," he said. "People should remain calm although vigilant."

He dismissed fears that the declaration of lawless violence would mean curtailment of people’s right, saying it is only intended to allow the military to take a more active role in suppressing violence in support of the crisis manager.

"According to the President, hindi lang tayo umasa sa pulis at (we do not only depend on the police and the) military," he said, adding that citizens and barangay officials should also be involved in the anti-terrorism campaign.

"Terrorism knows no time, no boundaries. We should never lower our guard, " he added.

Shattered pieces of glass, slippers and torn pieces of clothing were the only grim reminder left of the senseless bombing at the Davao City port.

Among the victims was 15-year-old Janet Brillantes, a junior high school student at the Sto. Tomas Temple High School, who was among those visited by President Macapagal-Arroyo today at the Davao City Medical Center.

Janet’s mother said her daughter was only fetching a neighbor at the port when the bomb exploded.

Janet sustained head, back and leg wounds and could hardly talk to the President.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has instructed all Philippine foreign missions to adopt a contingency plan against the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to avoid its spread among overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), including Filipino seafarers.

In a report to Malacanang, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople said the contingency measures that the DFA has adopted include the setting up of a SARS desk in every embassy and consulate where Filipinos can receive updated information about the disease.

Earlier, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered all concerned government agencies "to lock out the disease as much as possible and contain its threats."

She has appointed Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit as crisis manager for the SARS, authorizing him to take all the necessary measures to prevent the killer pneumonia from spreading to the Philippines.

The President said that SARS should be dealt with in much the same way that the government has dealt with other crisis.

According to Ople, the directive that he has issued to all foreign missions is in compliance with the preventive measures ordered by the President.

Ople stressed that access to official reports of the World Health Organization and Department of Health would help reduce panic among Filipinos abroad.

He said that the Philippines is fortunate to have no known SARS case to date while maintaining that special care should be given to the health needs of OFWs including Filipino seafarers who travel from port to port.

Recently, SARS claimed the life of Adela Dalingay, a Filipino domestic helper based in Hong Kong.

Ople also ordered embassy officials in China to make sure that all Filipinos working there are properly informed about the symptoms related to SARS.

He cited reports that China remains the country with the largest number of SARS cases.  According to the World Health Organization, 806 cases with 34 deaths have been reported in China.

There are 700 Filipinos in Guangdong province where SARS was said to have originated.

According to the DFA, Filipinos in China remain calm and have kept to their normal routine despite the SARS outbreak. Hospital employees, however, are required to don surgical masks while on duty.

Ople said Filipino seafarers, particularly those visiting ports situated in countries with known SARS cases, are a special concern following a report from the Philippine embassy in Jakarta that an Indonesian crewman died of suspected SARS on the way to Singapore from Hong Kong.

Another six Indonesian crewmen are still in quarantine at Singapore’s seaport.

"We have slightly more than two hundred thousand seafarers deployed overseas and I urge them to take the necessary preventive measures against SARS during these port calls," Ople added.

He suggested that the Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Health work closely with the different manning agencies and local maritime associations in providing SARS updates to Filipino seafarers.

Embassies and consulates were also given strict instructions to meet with seafarers’ groups and their dependents abroad in a bid to expand the reach of the Philippine government’s SARS preventive education campaign, Ople said.

Meanwhile, Ople approved the purchase of 3,400 surgical masks to be sent to the Philippine Consulate-General in Hong Kong for use of personnel and daily visitors to the consulate.

The request for surgical masks came from Consul-General Victoria Bataclan who said she has formed a monitoring team to visit 16 Filipinos confined in various hospitals, including five who are confirmed SARS patients.

Bataclan cited difficulties encountered by the Consulate in sourcing the WHO-recommended masks as well as its prohibitive cost at HK$4.00 a piece.

Consulate officials noted that the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong has led most Filipino domestic helpers to spend their usual weekend day-offs at home with their employers instead of going to the park or mall.

"Our Filipino workers in Hong Kong are quite aware of the health risks posed by SARS and have become very cautious with their movements within Hong Kong," Bataclan said.

She added that the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong recently turned over 180,000 primers on SARS specifically for Filipino OFWs.

"The Information Ministry sought the help of the Consulate in having its official SARS primer translated to Pilipino for the benefit of our OFWs," Bataclan explained.