Advent of suicide bombings ‘worst nightmare’ for PH – general

The photo shows the inside of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, following the deadly blast on January 27, 2019, reportedly triggered by a suicide bomber. Photos from United Kabalikat Civicom Jolo chapter, a citizen communications group.

MANILA, Philippines — The “advent” of suicide bombings in the Philippines is “our worst nightmare,” a military official said on Wednesday.

Lieutenant General Ronnie Evangelista, superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy, raised the possibility that there might already be suicide bombers in the country, citing the reported presence of foreign terrorists.

“That’s actually our worst nightmare,” Evangelista said during his confirmation hearing at the Senate.

“If there would be an advent of suicide bombers, then we are in big trouble and that could not be solved by the military alone. We have to have the support of the people,” he said.

He said everyone must be vigilant and have a role in ensuring that society was safe and secure.

“It’s really a nightmare if there’s already an advent, intrusion of the foreign terrorists espousing suicide bombings,” Evangelista added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier confirmed that foreigners were behind the twin bombings at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, last Jan. 27.

“The first news I got from abroad, from friends who are also watching these terrorists, I was told that they were a Yemeni couple. Then suddenly it was changed to Malaysian couple. Now it’s Indonesian couple,” Lorenzana was quoted as saying about the bombers in Jolo.

“But I would look at either Malaysian or Indonesian, mostly Indonesian,” he said.

READ: Foreign terrorists seeking refuge in Sulu – Lorenzana

More than 20 people were reportedly killed while over a hundred others were injured in the twin blasts. /cbb

READ: Death toll in Jolo church bombing rises to 22