KUALA LUMPUR – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has blamed this morning’s bombing in Mindanao State University on “foreign terrorists” as security is heightened in Manila and the southern Philippines.
“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists. Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society,” he said in a statement.
At least four people are dead and 50 injured after a bomb exploded during a Catholic Mass in a campus gymnasium in Marawi.
One of the angles being pursued by investigators is possible revenge by pro-Isis militants.
Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro was reported as saying that the authorities are working to bring the perpetrators to justice, reported Reuters.
He added that there were “strong indications of a foreign element” in the incident but did not comment further.
Senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told a press conference that they recovered fragments of a 16mm mortar at the scene.
Marawi in 2017 was seized by Isis-linked group known as Maute in an effort to turn it into a governorate. Between May and October, a battle, described as the longest urban battle in the modern history of the country, resulted in the death of more than 1,000 fighters and civilians.
The university in a Facebook post said it was “deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence that occurred during a religious gathering. We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless and horrific act.”
Classes have been suspended until further notice. – December 3, 2023