MANILA – Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana believes it is high time to place Sulu province under a martial law following Monday’s deadly twin blast that killed at least 15 people.
Sobejana said reimposing martial law – even if there was already an Anti-Terrorism Law – could help isolate and track down the Abu Sayyaf network.
“Noong dineklara ng ating Pangulo ‘yung martial law ay behaved ‘yung mga tao. Kaya lang noong una, nagkaroon ng kaunting negative reaction due to the stigma brought about by the 1970s martial law, but this time, nitong nakaraang martial law, talagang sila na mismo ang nag-request na kung maari ma-extend pa,” Sobejana said.
Martial law in Mindanao region ended last Dec. 31, 2019, more than two years after President Rodrigo Duterte declared it due to the Marawi siege.
Sobejana said the Army are still assessing whether there is a need to deploy additional soldiers in Jolo after the deadly explosions that have also hurt around 70 people.
Meanwhile, authorities are in hot pursuit of Abu Sayyaf bomb expert Mundi Sawadjaan and other terrorists who were possibly behind the twin blast, said Joint Task Force Sulu Commander William Gonzales.
“Alam naman natin na itong Abu Sayyaf, ito ang teroristang grupo na gumagawa ng terrorist activity dito sa probinsya ng Sulu,” Gonzales said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
The official said that they received intelligence reports last month on the planned bombing, which was why they have been conducting security and pursuit operations 24/7 in the province.
The first blast at 11:55 a.m. came from an improvised bomb placed in a vehicle parked in front of Paradise grocery store at Barangay Walled City, the military said in an initial report.
The second explosion occurred about an hour later near the Development Bank of the Philippines, around 100 meters away from the first blast site. The second blast was allegedly blasted by a female suicide bomber./PN
