MANILA– Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the deadly bombing that blasted a church in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday, Interior and Local Government secretary Eduardo M. Año said Friday.
DILG chief said in an interview that an Indonesian couple were identities not released publicly, was pointed as the suicide bombers in the incident.
“Hindi pa tapos y’ung ginagawang investigation but I have sources na itong pagpapasabog ay project ng Abu Sayyaf at itong foreign terrorists na affiliated sa ISIS,” he said.
“Itong dalawang foreigner na ito ay kasama y’ung mga lokal na Abu Sayyaf ito’y nag-guide sa kanila paano makapasok dun sa simbahan,” added Año, who consulted the Indonesian authorities on the bomb attack.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), however, is not yet convinced that the twin explosions in Jolo were suicide bombings as evidence surfacing points otherwise.
“There were other leads sa mga initial investigation na nagpapakita na posible ring hindi ito suicide bombing,” AFP spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo said in an interview on DZBB
Arevalo pointed out that investigation found that the improvised explosive device that went off inside the cathedral was “remotely” detonated which dispels the reports of a suicide bombing.
“Ang sa atin naman po ever since, hindi naman natin ni-rule out ang possibility na ito could be a case of suicide bombing,” Arevalo said.
“Ang purpose natin ay kino-collate yung mga impormasyon na ‘yan… kaya pinagtatagpi-tagpi po natin yan. Pero ang nakikita po natin base sa mga pagpapatuloy na imbestigasyon, we’re heading towards the information na posible ngang ito ay hindi suicide bombing,” he added.
At least 22 victims were killed and around 100 others sustained injuries in the twin blasts that damaged the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo on Sunday morning.
Earlier investigations by authorities have pointed Abu Sayyaf’s Ajang Ajang group as the culprit of the bombing and claiming four persons of interest caught on CCTV outside the church premises around the time of the explosions.
Año added that he has sources who informed him that the bombings were a “project” of the said local terror group./PN
