President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conducts an inspection inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu on January 28, 2019 where two explosions occurred inside and outside the church last January 27. Accompanying the President are Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

President Duterte’s order for an all-out war against terror neutralized a “high-value target” under Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan but cost the lives of five soldiers while five others were wounded in an armed clash between state forces and the ASG in Patikul, Sulu yesterday.

Another ASG leader, Indang Susukan, reportedly lost an arm in the skirmish.

Col. Gerry Besana, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command spokesman, estimated three were killed and more than 15 were injured among the bandits.

The President ordered state forces to crush the ASG which had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in an all-out war campaign after the twin bombings of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo that killed 21 people.

Besana said the firefight happened at a “thickly vegetated” area in Sitio Sungkog, Barangay Kabbon Takas in Patikul around 11:30 a.m. and lasted for almost two hours.

“The enemy force is still strong in this area so our troops are still having a hard time due to the thick vegetation,” he said.

Apart from the firefight on the ground, the military is also conducting air strikes against the ASG. Joint Task Force Sulu commander Brig. Gen. Divino Rey Pabayo said the conflict was still ongoing.

The Joint Task Force Sulu reported troops of the 5th Scout Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col. Marlo Jomalesa encountered more or less 100 ASG members under Sawadjaan that prompted an exchange of fire.

Last 29 January, Mr. Duterte ordered the military to “pulverize” the terror group which was implicated in the bombing.

“I ordered you to destroy the organization. I’m ordering you now: pulverize the Abu Sayyaf by whatever means,” the Commander-in-Chief strongly mandated the government’s forces after the Islamic State, through their local counterpart Abu Sayyaf,” he said.

“So what you can do is if you are about to conduct bombings, tell the people to move out. Put them in a place and the government will pay for their needs. Then let go of the bullets,” he added.

“Our duty is to protect the Filipino people. And second is that we have to preserve the nation. If we lose Jolo, even just one island, well, we have failed in our mission to preserve the territory of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said.

The President expressed outrage over the terrorist attacks in the Jolo church and said despite the presence of rebellious groups such as the Moro National Liberation Front of Nur Misuari in Jolo, the Christians and Joloanos “continue to live in peace together.”

“The Abu Sayyaf has “no ideology” and declared loyalty to the “evil movement” of IS,” Mr. Duterte said.

Despite statements from the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) that suicide bombers were responsible for the deadly bombings, the AFP said it is not yet convinced that these were cases of suicide bombings.

PTV Photo AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said initial investigations have found other leads that discounted the possibility of a suicide bombing, noting that the military earlier had announced that investigations revealed the improvised explosive device that went off inside the cathedral was “remotely” detonated and that this would already dispel reports of a suicide bombing.

“There were other leads in the initial investigation that can rule out suicide bombing,” Arevalo said despite President Rodrigo Duterte, DND Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año’s statements that it was indeed a suicide bombing.