Año: Indonesian couple behind twin explosions at Jolo cathedral

Jolo town mayor Kherkar Tan shared photos of explosions inside and outside of Mount Carmel Cathedral in barangay Walled City in Jolo around 8:20am January 27.

MANILA, Philippines – Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the double explosions that ripped through a cathedral and killed at least 20 people in Jolo, Sulu.

“Ang talagang nagpasabog dun ay Indonesian suicide bombers. Pero ‘yung mga Abu Sayyaf ang nag-guide sa kanila, nag-aral ng target, nag-reconnaissance, surveillance at inihatid ‘yung mag-asawa doon sa loob ng simbahan,” Año said in an event in Palo, Leyte.

“Meron tayong mga sources sa loob eh… May mga pangalang nakuha pero kailangan ma-identify kung ‘yun talaga ang pangalan nila kasi sila alias ‘yung ginagamit nilang pangalan doon sa loob eh,” he added.

Last January 27, twin blasts rocked Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu during a mass. The deadly incident also left more than 100 people wounded.

However, Año said the findings are still subject for verification.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte said a couple carried out the brazen attack.

The wife supposedly detonated her bomb inside the cathedral while the husband set off his outside the church moments later, according to Duterte.

Asked whether the couple were foreigners, the President said reports were “conflicting.”

“They said it’s Indonesian. Others say from the looks of it, it was … nothing could be found. No part of the body,” he said.

Año also said the attack is not related to the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite as it was carried out after the first referendum.

“Tapos na ‘yung BOL eh. Dapat kung they’re trying to influence the votes, dapat during or before the BOL (plebiscite),” Año said.

“Although alam natin anti-BOL ‘yung Abu Sayyaf at saka ‘yung mga ISIS. But para sa akin, they are after mass casualties and they are after killing Christians to elevate the war into a religious war,” he added. /kga

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