Jolo, Lamitan blasts identical—PNP Chief

PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.

Seeing similarities with last year’s Lamitan bombing, a top Philippine National Police (PNP) official yesterday declared Sunday’s Jolo Cathedral attack as unrelated to the recent plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Gen. Oscar Albayalde, the PNP Director General, claimed a pattern between the two bombings although he did not elaborate what these are.

Albayalde referred to the 31 July 2018 attack of the Magkawit detachment, a security checkpoint in the boundaries of barangays Bulanting, Colonia and Maganda in Lamitan, where a bomb-filled white van driven by a foreign Daesh fighter rammed into a group of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) and killed 10 people, including four civilians who were relatives of the CAFGU personnel.

Abu Sayyaf commanders Furudji Indama, Radzmil Janatul and Jobel Abdullah, who operate in Basilan, were said to have coordinated the attack with the Moroccan suicide bomber who drove the white van until it exploded.

No Filipino extremist has yet to figure in a suicide attack although the Lamitan bombing was made to confuse the public into believing that it was carried out by a Filipino Daesh fighter.

“It seems that (the Jolo attack was like that) in Lamitan before,” Albayalde said. “Remember the Lamitan bombing?”

There had been at least 10 bombing attacks on the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu since 3 June 2000.

It has been under tight security by state security forces since then. Some of those who died in the recent attack were members of the Philippine Army and the Philippine Coast Guard.

At Camp Crame, PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Bernard Banac said the lockdown in Jolo, Sulu will be lifted once the investigation is finished.

Banac said the PNP security force in Jolo is enough to secure the area, along with two battalions of the PNP Special Action Force.

Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also revealed receiving reports about terror plans prior to the attack.

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana. “There were reports that churches in Jolo, Basilan and Zamboanga would be bombed. They came as early as 2018, with Jolo as most probable target,” Lorenzana said.

“Since then, the Jolo Cathedral was guarded by soldiers 24 hours a day,” he said.

Lorenzana, however, believed lapses may have been committed in the sneaking of the two bags of bombs, which the terror group detonated in the middle of a Sunday Mass.

“While we were briefed that all people going inside (had to be) searched, it is possible that there may have been a lapse in the procedure,” he added.

Twenty people died in the attack, while more than a hundred were injured.

Banac also said the Jolo bombing could not be related to the BOL, but is “a clear act of terror.”

“Based on our investigation, there is no connection between the two (bombing and BOL). This thing that happened, the bombings, is just a clear and simple act of terrorism. It has nothing to do with the plebiscite,” Banac said.

The PNP spokesman also belied Daesh claims that suicide bombers were responsible for the twin blasts. He clarified that initial investigations show that the blasts were caused by electronically-triggered improvised explosives.

“We have not seen any indication that this is a suicide bombing,” said Banac. “All indicators point to detonation by an improvised explosive device.”

The PNP released footage from a CCTV that showed the alleged perpetrators who are suspected to be members of the Ajang-Ajang group linked with the Abu Sayyaf.

“We need to find a more solid evidence and direct witnesses before we can come up with any resolution regarding the matter,” Banac said.

“Our security preparations are already in place. We will be focusing on heightened and intensified checkpoints to make sure people will not carry firearms or even explosives,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday announced that additional troops have been deployed to the southern villages that will participate in the 6 February BOL plebiscite.

According to Western Mindanao Command spokesman Col. Gerry Besana, the military’s 103rd Infantry Brigade was tasked to focus on these areas and implement security measures together with the police and Commission on Elections.

The plebiscite next week is expected to have voters from 39 barangays in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte to decide on their inclusion in the Bangsamoro.

“We’ve learned a lot from the previous plebiscite. We will strive to make the upcoming Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite more peaceful and successful,” Besana said.