MANILA, Philippines — The military is looking into the possibility that “revenge” could be the motive behind the recent grenade attack on a Mahardika mosque in Zamboanga City, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Benjamin Madrigal said Wednesday.
Madrigal said this “revenge” angle is one of the angles being looked into by the military.
“Yes, isa ito sa anggulo na tinitingnan namin,” Madrigal told reporters in an interview at the Senate shortly after emerging from a confirmation hearing by the Commission on Appointments.
When asked if the Zamboanga grenade attack was related to the twin blasts that rocked the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, Madrigal said the military is still investigating, but pointed out that there seems to be some sectors or “peace spoilers” who are trying to pin “religious undertones” into the two incidents.
“Sa ngayon, hindi natin mai-relate (‘yong dalawang incidents),” Madrigal said.
“But probably some sectors or some, yung mga peace spoilers are trying to put a religious undertone dito sa pangyayari,” he added.
Asked why would religious undertones be injected in the said events, the AFP chief said the grenade attack on the Zamboanga City mosque could have been done in retaliation for the Jolo cathedral bombing.
“Ang sinasabi natin na baka revenge sa pangyayari dahil ang namatay mga Kristiyano baka kaya ang ano nito na mag ano sila doon sa mosque,” he said.
Madrigal however told the public not to arrive at any conclusion and wait for the official result of the investigation.
“But sabi nga, wag muna tayo maggawa ng ganitong conclusion,” he said.
“Kaya nga hinihingi natin na tingnan muna natin ang magiging result ng investigation. Hindi agad tayo makapagbigay ng conclusive statement tungkol dyan,” Madrigal added.
The grenade attack on the Mahardika mosque in Logoy Diutay, Barangay Talon-talon, Zamboanga City on Wednesday, left two persons dead and three others injured. /muf
READ: 2 dead, 3 hurt in Zamboanga mosque grenade blast