For Christian devotees, Sunday is usually a day of rest. It is the special day of the week, much like Friday is for Muslims, when they don their "Sunday best" to troop to a religious observance — Mass in a church, prayer hall, and other places of worship. They perform prayer rituals and listen to sermons of peace and love for their neighbors.

The Christians at Mindanao State University, mostly students, teachers, workers, and their families, do not have a church in their community. As a special accommodation but against the advice of ultra-conservative Muslim ulamas, the university administration allowed them to celebrate their masses in the university gymnasium. The university is, after all, a social laboratory that brings together people of diverse faiths. The local people have been living together in harmony and tranquility. Religion was never an issue among them.

Unfortunately, last Sunday, the peace in the academic community was broken. A bomb of unknown make ripped through the gymnasium in the middle of a Catholic Mass, killing four and wounding scores and still counting at press time.

With the advances in information and communications technology, the news spread like wildfire, passed along on mainstream and social media, complete with graphic images of the victims (there should be a law banning the taking of their photos and publicly showing them, being an intrusion on their privacy). Immediately, messages of condemnation and indignation over the dastardly crime were publicly expressed, along with words of condolence for the bereaved families of the victims.

Leading the condemnation was President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who, in a public statement, said, "Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society… I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists …"  

Eyebrows were raised. What gave the President the idea to pin the blame on "foreign terrorists?" Was he fed classified information by the intelligence community that was hidden from the public?

Remember that he issued that statement a few hours after the incident. He appealed to the public to remain calm, as he assured them that the government would bring the perpetrators to justice. He also ordered the uniformed authorities to provide protection and security to civilians and the affected communities. Vice President Sara Duterte followed suit and condemned the dastardly act.