On August 24th a suicide attack in Jolo killed 14 people and wounded 75 others.
Muslim militants allied with the Islamic State group set off a powerful motorcycle explosive followed by a suicide bombing that together killed 14 people on Monday, many of them soldiers, in the worst extremist attack in the Philippines this year, military officials said.
At least 75 soldiers, police and civilians were wounded in the midday bombings in Jolo town in southern Sulu province, regional military commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said. The bombings were staged as the government grapples with the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia.
Vinluan said most of the victims, including children, were killed and wounded in the first attack, when a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded near two parked army trucks in front of a grocery store and computer shop in Jolo.
“It was a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device which exploded while our soldiers were on a marketing run,” Vinluan told reporters.
A second blast, apparently from a female suicide attacker, occurred about an hour later and killed the bomber, a soldier, a police commando and wounded several others, a military report said. It said the suspected bomber walked out of a snack shop, approached soldiers who were securing a Roman Catholic cathedral and “suddenly blew herself up.”
Snipers were deployed in the area to guard against more bombers as the victims were carried to an ambulance.
A third unexploded bomb was reportedly found in a public market. Jolo was immediately placed in a security lockdown by troops and police.
Two suicide bombings plus a third bomb that was found before it could be exploded causing even more destruction in the public market. And who is responsible? The bombers were two women, widows of dead Abu Sayyaf terrorists.
The military has said that two local women who are widows of Abu Sayyaf bandits in Sulu carried out the twin bombings in downtown Jolo on Monday, Aug. 24.
Major General Corleto Vinluan, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the first bomber was identified as a certain Nanah, a native of Basilan, and widow of Norman Lasuca.
Lasuca was the first local suicide bomber who blasted himself inside an Army detachment in Indanan, Sulu in June last year.
The second bomber, according to Vinluan, is identified as Indah Nay, wife of Abu Sayyaf fighter Taha Jumsa, alias Abu Taha, or Abu Talha. Jumsa was killed in a military operation in November last year.
Apart from serving as a liaison of local affiliates to the Islamic State leadership, Jumsa also trained bomb-makers and suicide bombers.
It seems as if "suicide bomber" is a career that runs in the family. Hopefully these women don't have children who will follow in their footsteps. But who were these women working for? Who is the mastermind?
"Iyong mastermind same pa rin siya, si Mundi Sawadjaan (The mastermind is the same, it's Mundi Sawadjaan),” AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr said in an interview with DZMM.
He was referring to the March 24 twin blasts and also the January 2019 Jolo Cathedral bombings that killed 20 and injured at least 100.
The AFP was well aware of the plans of both the women and Sawadjaan to conduct suicide bombings. The problem is that the intel officers tracking them were brutally murdered by PNP officers in Jolo before they could be stopped.
The death of four military intelligence operatives in the hands of Jolo police officers last June 29 disrupted ongoing operations against the two suicide bombers involved in Monday's twin blasts, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said on Thursday.
"Aside from missing the opportunity of capturing these two suicide bombers, it has caused disruption in our intelligence operations in the area, so this disruption in our intelligence coverage for these suicide bombers and activities of Abu Sayyaf in Jolo and in other parts of Sulu somehow led to this incident," Gapay said in an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source.
"The two female suicide bombers are the same targets being tracked by the group of Maj. (Marvin) Indammog before they were killed by policemen on 29 June 2020," Sobejana added.
Indammog, Capt. Irwin Managuelod, Sgt. Jaime Velasco, and Cpl. Abdal Asula were conducting intelligence and monitoring operations against two suspected suicide bombers when they were gunned down by nine police officers in Jolo, Sulu.
Saying that the murder of those 4 intel officers "somehow led to this incident" is an understatement. Their murder directly led to this incident and those PNP officers who killed them likely have ties to the bombers. Maybe even blood ties.
Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr. said Monday there is a possibility that the nine police officers may have conspired with the two suicide bombers being tracked by the four soldiers who got killed in Jolo, Sulu last June 29.
During the Commission on Appointments' deliberation on Vinluan's nomination, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon asked if the Armed Forces of the Philippines thinks the cops, who killed the military men carrying out an intelligence operation to thwart a bombing attack, connived with the two suicide bombers .
"That is possible, your honor because there are almost relatives in Sulu. There are ASGs (Abu Sayyaf) with relative police, and then with MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) with relative police, Sulu is small, "Vinluan said.
Pressed further who among the police officers were related to the alleged bombers, Vinluan said: "I cannot answer you definitely because our investigation is still ongoing."
"Rido" or family feud, and illegal drugs were also among the possible motives for the fatal shooting, he added.
It should not be too hard to determine whether or not these men are related tot he bombers.
The AFP remains as determined as ever to crush Abu Sayyaf.
The twin bombings in Jolo, Sulu that caused heavy casualties will not deter the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from its commitment to end the threat posed by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists.
"The Abu Sayyaf Group will not deter us from nor shake our resolve to bring an end to their violence," said AFP chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, in a statement to reporters Wednesday.
Earlier, Philippine Army commander Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said that two female suicide bombers were probably motivated by ASG leader Mundi Sawadjaan.
He added that troops in the ground will continue to be on high alert to prevent similar attacks.
"Combat and intelligence operations were also ramped up to pursue those responsible," Gapay said.
Remember
in 2017 when the AFP sad they were aiming to defeat ASG in six months? Three later Abu Sayyaf is still wrecking havoc
in Mindanao. Resolve
without action is worthless yet there AFP has seen plenty of action against Abu Sayyaf. What is holding the AFP back from defeating this group? Politicians and AFP brass have said that they don't have the proper tools which is why
they passed an anti-terrorism law in 2007 and in 2020.
Dela Rosa, chair of the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, also zeroed in on critics of the controversial anti-terrorism law.
“To the critics, I dare ask this question: with the recent Jolo bombing, have you not realized that terrorism is indeed in our midst, with its clear, imminent and present danger, ready to devour anyone in its path?” he said.
(What matters to you more? Your imagined threat on what the government may do to its critics or this real, clear and present danger that we are seeing now with the bodies of our soldiers, policemen and civilians all torn up.)
Dela Rosa defended the anti-terror law saying that many groups and individuals have raised “frantic concerns” on the “conceived abuses” that may possibly be committed by the government in implementing the measure.
“This is the piece of legislation that seeks to prevent, prohibit and penalize terrorism in the country,” he said.
Bato's speech is a perfect display of the idiocy which has a tight grasp on every single Filipino politician. Of course no one denies that there is actual terrorism in the country but the threat of "what the government may do to its critics" is also very real.
Southern Luzon Command chief Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade Jr. on Monday said he supports the proposal to regulate social media under the anti-terrorism law.
Facing the Commission on Appointments, Parlade claimed that the platform is being used by terror groups to recruit the youth and also to teach how to create explosives.
"We all know that the social media is being used by elements, by organizations to destabilize the government. As we speak even, the social media they are talking about how to make bombs, Molotov bombs," he told lawmakers.
"We are speaking here of some organizations, legal organizations discussing about how to make Molotov bombs in social media... It's happening in social media and we're able to monitor it but we cannot do anything about it," he added.
Maintaining that AFP chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay was right in proposing such with the end goal of preventing terrorism, Parlade said the anti-terror law could be used to foil the "preparatory acts" of those planning terror attacks.
"Social media per se should be accessible for all but the actions of people using this platform should be regulated. I don't know exactly how we can do that," Parlade said.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, pointed out it can be classified as "prior restraint" which is against the Bill of Rights.
"I submit to the wisdom of the senator. We should not suppress freedom of expression but we have to do something about people who are irresponsible in using or accessing social media," Parlade responded.
Are these people aware that there are plenty of places online detailing how to make bombs and other weapons? Regulation is dependent upon the platforms. It is they who decide what can and cannot be posted and shared. Any regulation by the government of speech is a stepping stone to tyranny and no one wants that.
So what now? How will the AFP and the DND respond to the Jolo bombings? While some have advocated imposing martial law in Sulu others have said there is no need. The AFP says more immediate measures.
"The re-imposition of Martial Law in Mindanao is one of the options that we are considering but we need right now are measures that can be immediately implemented so we could right away arrest and check on activities of terrorist groups operating not only in Jolo, Sulu but in the entire island of Mindanao," he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Gapay said the proposal to place Sulu under martial would still need to undergo a thorough legislative process which could take time.
He added that what the AFP is pushing for now is the strict implementation of Proclamation 55 where President Rodrigo Duterte placed Mindanao under a state of national emergency due to lawless violence after the September 2016 bombing in Davao City, which killed 14 people and wounded over 60 others.
Another option, he added, is the newly-enacted Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
"Another thing we now have Anti-Terror(ism) Law of 2020 which will be put to test since we already have a case now, we had twin blasts in Jolo, so we are recommending and proposing the implementation of Presidential Proclamation 55 and as well as the implementation of the Anti-Terror Law, that’s what our immediate action to address immediately the threat of terrorism in Mindanao," Gapay said.
He added that these two measures are more than sufficient for the AFP to go after terrorists.
It's been four years
since Duterte placed the entire
country
under a state of emergency. Why didn't they push for strict implementation of this proclamation then? Why wait until now? And what does that strict implementation even look like? The AFP says both of those "measures are more than sufficient for the AFP to go after" Abu Sayyaf. But they only had Proclamation 55 when they claimed they could defeat ASG within 6 months. Perhaps what is needed is for the AFP to augment their forces in Sulu, do more patrols, and kill them one by one.
A soldier and a suspected Abu Sayyaf gunman were killed in a 30-minute clash in Patikul town of Sulu on Saturday, the military said.
Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr., chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said the clash occurred at around 9:55 a.m. in Kabbon-Takas village while troops of the 9th Scout Ranger Company were on combat operation.
Vinluan added that the government troops encountered about 30 armed men believed to be led by Radullan Sahiron and Mundi Sawadjaan.
“We will employ all military assets to destroy the fleeing Abu Sayyaf members who are the perpetrators of the Jolo bombing,” said Brigadier General William Gonzales, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu.
With these two bombings in Jolo there could be more one the way. Time is of the essence as the AFP chases down three would-be bombers.
Two Indonesian members of the terror group Abu Sayyaf – including a woman – and a Filipino militant may have slipped into the Zamboanga peninsula to launch terror attacks, officials said yesterday.
The city government issued the warning as it offered a bounty of P3 million to any civilian who would be able to provide information that could lead to the capture or neutralization of the three terrorists.
City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar identified the three as Mundi Sawadajaan, a Filipino; and Indonesians Andi Baso, about 17 to 25 years; and Reski Fantasya alias Cici, 17 to 22 years old and wife of Abu Sayyaf leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.
“From blue to red alert, we have to increase our alert status because we were given information by National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) regional director Ariel Perlado that the suicide bombers in Jolo have escaped and are posing a terror threat in Zamboanga peninsula,” Salazar said.
“Whether it’s a vehicle attack or suicide bomber we’re asking our security forces down to the barangay level to be on alert so that we will be able to prevent, preempt and deter acts of terrorism in our areas of jurisdiction,” Salazar said.
It really is only the security forces, AFP and PNP, who can deter acts of terrorism by going hard after ASG. The new anti-terrorism law is really nothing more than a paper tiger compared to the weapons of the AFP. Even Duterte says it is not a time for war.
"If we cannot really agree then we fight. And we fight hard until they are finished. Maybe by that time, when they are all depleted, there will be no more war," he said in his televised speech in a mix of Filipino and English.
"In God’s time, we will talk about peace. If it is hatred, it cannot be stopped anymore. It is an impossible dream. It is an unreachable star. But it behooves upon us even as leaders, even to try, to talk, even as we wage war."
"There is a time to build and a time to destroy... and there is a time that we do not talk to each other, but there will always be a time to talk. We will have the time, as there is a time for war and there is a time for peace," the president said.
"There will always be a time that you answer for killing an innocent human being."
A fight until everyone is depleted? There are only a few hundred ASG terrorists. Surely it can't be that hard to deplete their ranks. But it seems they have continued to outsmart the AFP at every turn since they were founded in 1991.
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