MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered the military to destroy the Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) after Philippine authorities named it the primary suspect in the double bombing of a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu on Sunday that left 20 dead and more than 100 injured.
The president, accompanied by his top security officials, including Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, flew to the southern Philippine island of Sulu on Monday to assess the situation at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman-Catholic Cathedral.
Lorenzana said that six suspects have been named in connection with the cathedral attack after footage was recovered showing the men acting suspiciously outside the church after the first explosion.
Following the attack, Jolo has been placed on lockdown as security forces scrambled to restore normalcy while they hunt down the perpetrators.
Security had also been tightened across the entire of Sulu, as well as in the cities of Isabela and Lamitan in Basilan province. Sulu and Basilan are known strongholds of ASG, which has pledged allegiance to Daesh.
The Philippine government has assured the international community that those behind the attack would be brought to justice following strong condemnations of the bombings.
Salvador Panelo, a spokesman for President Duterte, said he has directed the AFP to undertake measures to prevent similar incidents from happening.
Duterte’s spokesman said that the latest violence is all the more reason for Mindanao island to be under martial law despite critics saying that the bombings are indicative of the fact that it is ineffective.
“If you can do that under a martial law regime, then all the more reason you should maintain it and be more strict in the implementation of security measures in that area,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) vowed that those responsible for this attack would not go unpunished.
“We grieve over the unnecessary loss of so many lives in this act of violence, which can only be perpetrated by the forces of evil. Those responsible for this crime will not go unpunished. We will find them and bring them to justice,” the DFA said.
“We are thankful for the many expressions of sympathy and solidarity from the international community. This terrorist act comes at a sensitive and yet hopeful period following the ratification by an overwhelming majority of the Bangsamoro Organic Law that seeks to bring peace and progress to Mindanao.”
The Kingdom, the US, Russia, Canada, Jordan and Japan all condemned the attack.
“A crime committed against civilians who gathered for a church service is shocking,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telegram published by the Kremlin.
Sung Kim, US ambassador to the Philippines, expressed his “deepest sympathies for the tragic loss of life in Jolo.”
“We condemn this senseless violence and we will do everything possible to support the AFP,” he said.
The military said the Daesh claim to the attack remains “a form of propaganda at this time,” noting that “they have had false claims in the past.”