President Rodrigo Duterte's order to the police to arrest people loitering, particularly at night, is not a prelude to declaring martial to the the whole country, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police will come out with guidelines regarding the implementation of the President's order against the vagrants.

"Let's wait for the guidelines of the DILG and the PNP. But as of now, those who have been accosted are those who violated the ordinance and those whom the police knew are possible violators of the law - those drinking on the street, gambling on the street," he said in a press briefing in Cotabato City.

He added that there are built in guarantees in the Bill of Rights, such as detaining a person within a prescribed number of hours only if formal complaint has not been filed.

Human rights and militant groups have said that the new order of the President against those loitering could be prelude to Duterte's declaration of martial law in Luzon and Visayas also.

Mindanao has been under martial law since May last year due to rebellion.

"The President's statement was clear, martial law in the entire Philippine will become very complicated. He has absolutely no intentions right now unless there would be reasons to do so. The President has not seen any right now," Roque said.

Hundreds of individuals, particularly in Metro Manila, have been nabbed for loitering. Celerina Monte/DMS