PNP CHIEF Gen. Archie Gamboa supported the recommendation of Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana to place Sulu under martial of law following last Monday’s suicide bombings in Jolo town.
“This (martial law) will allow the military and police more operational flexibility to carry out law enforcement operations against domestic threat groups in the area,” he said in statement on Tuesday night.
Sulu is a bailiwick of the Abu Sayyaf which was tagged behind the suicide bombings that left 17 people dead, including soldiers and the two female suicide bombers.
The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City, the President Duterte’s hometown, has stepped up security measures in eastern Mindanao.
Armed Forces chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay yesterday vowed to “exact justice” on the perpetrators of the suicide attacks.
“No sensible religion or ideology would ever endorse these (senseless) attacks. We extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims. Rest assured that their sacrifices will not be in vain,” said Gapay.
He assured the public the military continues to be on “high alert” and asked the public to be “calm, vigilant, and do their share in keeping their communities safe by cooperating with government authorities.”
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the National Capital Region Police Office has heightened its alert in Metro Manila to prevent similar attack.
He also said placing the province under martial law “will enable security forces more capability “in maintaining law and order in that province.”
On Tuesday, Sobejana said martial law should be declared in Sulu to “to bring back normalcy” and to control the movement of terror groups in the province. Otherwise, he said, bombings will be a “repetitive thing.”
“There will be a significant difference (in the conduct of operations) of course because we will be able to implement a stricter peace and order measures,” said Banac in airing the PNP’s support to Sobejana’s recommendation.
“Insofar as the security forces, law enforcement are concerned, we think it would be best if we bring back the imposition of martial law in that part of western Mindanao,” he said.
The explosions injured at least 70 persons.
The first bomb exploded in front of a grocery store, where a military truck with soldiers was parked, on Monday noon. The second blast occurred an hour later, about a hundred meters from the site of the first explosion.
The number of soldiers slain rose to eight as one of the 24 initially injured soldiers perished. Also killed in the two explosions were a policeman, six civilians, and the two suicide bombers.
Seventy-four people were injured — 48 civilians, 23 soldiers, and six policemen.
Gapay said the Abu Sayyaf, composed of around 300 men who are mostly based in Sulu, will not deter the military’s resolve “to bring an end to their violence.”
The Philippine Army named the eight slain soldiers as S/Sgts. Louie Cuarteros and Manuelito Oria and Pvts. Omair Muksan, Juvienjay Emlani, John Ray Paller, Aiub Sahid, John Agustin, and James Apolinario.
“The Philippine Army grieves over the death of these men. We honor their sacrifice in serving our country and protecting the people of Jolo, Sulu,” said Sobejana.
BOMBERS
A senior military official said one of the female suicide bombers was an Indonesian. The source said the Indonesian is the wife of Norman Lasuca, an Abu Sayyaf member.
Lasuca and a foreign suicide bomber blew themselves up during a suicide bombing at the headquarters of the Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team in Indanan, Sulu in June last year.
Three soldiers and two civilians also died in the attack
The source said the Indonesian is a relative of an Indonesian couple who blew themselves up during the suicide bombing at Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu in January last year, which killed 23 people including the couple.
He said the Indonesian bomber is associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. “We believe he went here with her relatives, the Indonesian suicide bombers involved in the bombing at the Jolo Cathedral,” he said.
The source said the second female suicide bomber is a Filipina who is the wife Talha Jumsah, alias Abu Talha, a conduit of the ISIS with the Abu Sayyaf. Jumsah died in a firefight with government troops in Patikul, Sulu in November last year.
Sobejana earlier named the suicide bombers as Nanah from Basilan, wife of Lasuca, and alias Inda Nay from Sulu, wife of Talha, but did not say their nationality. He said the two were motivated by Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Mundi Sawadjaan to become suicide bombers.
Asked if the Abu Sayyaf is planning follow-up suicide attacks, the source just said: “So far based on our information, (the) threat is focused in Mindanao where there is big concentration of AFP troops.”
“Their target is to inflict casualty on military, PNP targets. But we are increasing security of all soft targets in cities just to be safe,” the source added.
DAVAO SECURITY
The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command based in Davao City, the President Duterte’s hometown, has stepped up security measures in eastern Mindanao.
Eastmincom chief Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino Jr. ordered subordinate commanders “to ramp up their security operations to prevent the possible spillover of the incident in different areas within eastern Mindanao,” said Eastmincom spokesman Maj. Alex Mindalano.
“The command is also working closely with its adjacent military units and law enforcement agencies, especially with the Philippine National Police, to stay on top of the situation to ensure the maximum safety of the public,” added Mindalano.
Mindalano said the suicide bombings in Sulu have “no direct threat in eastern Mindanao” but nevertheless gave the assurance that the command and its units “will remain vigilant and in full alert.”
“We also urge the public to be vigilant and to immediately report to the authorities any suspicious individuals or activities in their area. It is in this moment that all of us need to be security-conscious and that we need to uphold even more our culture of security,” said Mindalano.
