Recto: MILF leadership needed to catch culprits of Jolo church blasts

This photo from the Philippine Army shows identities of alleged suspects in the Jolo church blasts as caught on CCTV. Two explosions rocked the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Jolo, Sulu, last Sunday, January 27, 2019, and left at least 20 people dead and over 100 others wounded.

MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) would be needed to resolve and catch perpetrators of the double explosions at a Jolo church that left over 20 people dead and at least 100 others injured, Senator Ralph Recto said Tuesday.

According to Recto, “Nothing prevents the MILF, which is a government-in-waiting, from being a government in action.”

“The search for the perpetrators, for justice, for lasting solutions will be made easy with the help of Bangsamoro leaders,” he also said in a statement.

Recto pointed out that solving the deadly Jolo catherdral blasts in Sulu is “no longer the sole responsibility of the national government but a joint venture with the Bangsamoro leaders.”

But Recto also said all powers and funding promised in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) should be given to Bangsamoro government within the timetable set by the decree.

“We cannot ask them to do this without providing them with resources and authority,” Recto said.

“Give them the means, so they can accomplish the mission. Once we devolve the funds, we also devolve the task of solving many local problems. That’s the understanding,” he added.

Under BOL, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) would be formed upon the law’s ratification.

Also, BOL states that BTA will be led by MILF, which would serve as “de facto government” until noon of June 30, 2019. /kga