Philippine President Suggests Church Bombing Was a ‘Suicide’ Attack, Reports Reuters

By Karen Lema and Neil Jerome Morales

MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte stated on Tuesday that the recent twin explosions at a church on a southern island, which resulted in the deaths of 20 individuals, may have been a suicide attack. This assertion was based on information he received from military commanders.

Duterte’s claims contradict the earlier statements made by military and police officials, who indicated that the bombs detonated inside and outside the church in Jolo seemed to have been activated remotely. Security camera footage purportedly showing the suspects responsible for planting the bombs has been shared with the media.

If Duterte’s assessment is confirmed, it would mark one of the first recorded instances of a suicide attack in the Philippines, aligning with details from a claim of responsibility by Islamic State’s Amaq news agency released early on Monday.

"It exploded. That is terrorism and suicide. You cannot carry plastic bags; you will be questioned by the military or police if you have a backpack," Duterte explained to reporters when asked for clarification on his earlier remarks. "But you could see all around bits and pieces of flesh. We even stepped on it."

When queried about Duterte’s statements, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana acknowledged that the second blast "may have been a suicide bomber." He noted that the first bomb, which exploded inside the church, was reportedly left behind by a woman.

"The second bomb detonated at the entrance about a minute and a half later and may have been a suicide bomber, as indicated by body parts strewn across the area," Lorenzana elaborated.

These bombings occurred just six days after a referendum aimed at granting autonomy to the predominantly Muslim region resulted in a decisive "yes" vote. Alongside the fatalities, over 100 individuals sustained injuries in what has been described as one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in an area notoriously marked by instability.

Last year, Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing, where a device was triggered by a van driver at a remote checkpoint in Basilan, resulting in 11 fatalities. It is believed the driver, possibly a foreigner, may have detonated the device prematurely, with the intended target likely being a more populated location.

Duterte expressed his belief that the militant group Abu Sayyaf was behind the church attack and mentioned the possibility, albeit uncertain, that one of the bombers was Indonesian. He did, however, express some hesitation regarding the nature of the attack, based on a briefing he received early Tuesday.

"If not a suicide bomber, what? By cellphone? Yes, that is a possibility. But eyewitnesses said it was the other way around; there could have been a companion, a support system," he commented.

Authorities suspect that a faction of Abu Sayyaf known as Ajang-Ajang conducted the attack as an act of vengeance for the deaths of relatives during military operations against their group.

Abu Sayyaf is a domestic militant organization that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, known for its involvement in kidnappings for ransom and acts of piracy.