Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday declared the country to be in a “state of lawlessness” following a blast in the city of Davao on Friday, in which the toll has risen to 14. However, he clarified that his declaration did not amount to the imposition of martial law in the archipelago, Reuters reported. “It’s not martial law until it’s a threat against the people and against the nation,” said the president, who was attending a meeting 12 km away from downtown Davao when the explosion took place.

Police and the nation's military have promised to uphold the “state of lawlessness”, even as there has been some confusion about what the declaration entails. Duterte’s office has said that his proclamation was based on an article in the country’s Constitution that puts its leader in charge of armed forces. Other officials have said that troops will assist the country’s police in anti-crime and anti-terror exercises, according to BBC.

The country's government has blamed Islamic State-linked group Abu Sayyaf for the blast, which also injured 67 people. National Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the group wanted to retaliate against the government after suffering heavy casualties on its base in the Jolo island. Lorenzana said the group was "adept at using the democratic space granted" by the Philippines' Constitution to conduct its activities.