DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte ended his nearly month-long self-imposed quarantine here and went to Jolo, Sulu yesterday to visit the site of the twin bombings that killed 15 people, including eight soldiers, and injured 74 others on Aug. 24.
The President was expected to visit the blast site near the Paradise Food Plaza in downtown Jolo, as he left Davao City yesterday on a private jet.
Duterte arrived in Davao City on Aug. 3 and did not leave the city as he had to undergo quarantine, as required of anyone entering the city.
The Presidential Security Group has enforced strict measures to ensure the security of the Chief Executive and make sure that proper health protocols are followed around him to protect him from COVID infection while in Jolo.
Duterte had previously said, during a recent online concert arranged by his supporters, that he would go to Jolo to honor the soldiers and police who died in the bombing.
“I’m going to Jolo, I will go directly to Jolo, to the blast site. I will give importance to our soldiers, my soldiers, my policemen who died. I’ll go there to fulfill the duty of a commander in chief,” he said in Filipino.
In Jolo, the President will also meet with the soldiers and policemen assigned to the area.
Duterte reportedly will immediately proceed to Manila from Jolo for his weekly meeting today with core members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Disease for updates on the fight against the coronavirus disease pandemic.
Withdrawing martial law proposal
Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana is withdrawing his earlier recommendation that the province of Sulu be placed under martial law, following last week’s twin explosions.
Sobejana said he is bowing to the wisdom of the national government as to what actions or measures should be taken against the Abu Sayyaf, which perpetrated the terror attack using female suicide bombers.
“I drop my recommendation for martial law declaration over Sulu, despite the turmoil, as there might be other better options,” he told reporters yesterday.
State forces are currently pursuing at least three suspects believed to be responsible for the bombings.
Sobejana, who was commander of the Western Mindanao Command before being recently appointed chief of the Philippine Army, said he would “always give due respect to the wisdom of our national leadership and the sentiment of the general public.”
Hot pursuit
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said among the three suspects currently being pursued over the recent bombings in Jolo were Mundi Sawadjaan, sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf, as earlier identified by local officials and the military.
Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, PNP deputy chief for administration, said he could not recall the names of the rest but said operations to smoke them out were ongoing. The local government of Zamboanga City identified one suspect as Andi Baso, an Indonesian bomb expert.
“The Army is in coordination with the anti-terrorism unit (of PNP) for operations to arrest them. One of them is Sawadjaan and two more suspects involved – the planners of the attack and cohorts of the suicide bombers,” Cascolan said in an interview aired over dzBB.
Sawadjaan is a known bombmaker of the Abu Sayyaf and nephew of Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who leads a faction of the bandit group associated with the Islamic State. The military had earlier reported that the explosions were carried out by two female suicide bombers allegedly under the auspices of IS.
Authorities disclosed earlier that they are in hot pursuit of Sawadjaan following the explosions. A joint task force is also working for his immediate arrest.
An encounter on Saturday morning during a pursuit operation by the task force against Sawadjaan killed two Abu Sayyaf bandits in Patikul.
Aside from tactical operations to smoke out the suspects, the local government of Zamboanga City has also placed a P3-million bounty on those responsible for the bombing.
Zamboanga Mayor Beng Climaco offered a P3-million bounty each for those who could help track down Sawadjaan and Baso.
The local government is also looking for Reski Fantasya – also known as “Cici,” said to be a female Indonesian terrorist and bomb expert and wife of Hatib Sawadjaan – who is tagged in the 2019 Mt. Carmel Cathedral bombing in Jolo. No specific reward was stated for her arrest.
Banac added that at least 348 Special Action Force commandos have been sent to Jolo to amplify efforts in maintaining security in the area following the bombing.
Jolo has also been placed under temporary lockdown starting 8 a.m. yesterday until further notice, according to the Facebook page of the municipal government.
Travel records check
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said they would be looking at the travel records of Baso and Fantasya. Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary Markk Perete said that, as part of the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the BI, they would check on the travel records of foreigners to determine the frequency of their travels in the country.
“This is SOP, the checking of records with the Bureau of Immigration. They would want to know how often they have been traveling to the country or have they been overstaying. So, all of these would be relevant in the investigation,” said Perete.
He assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines of the DOJ and BI’s cooperation. “At this point it’s SOP, so what the department is doing is automatic. But if the AFP and national security agencies would require more cooperation and information, then we will be helping them.”
Health concerns
Meanwhile, Sen. Bong Go has dismissed speculations regarding the health of President Duterte, saying “he will finish and live beyond his term.”
Go issued the statement after Duterte remarked last week that doctors warned him that his Barrett’s esophagus condition might worsen to stage 1 cancer.
“You know, the President and I have been together for over 22 years and I hear that Barrett esophagus of his every year. He tells that to other people but it’s not that bad. He often says that as we get older, there’re many restrictions,” Go said in Filipino in a radio interview on Saturday.
He said Filipinos have nothing to worry about Duterte’s health as he is physically fit and is in good shape to lead the Philippines. Go also said he guarantees he will finish and live beyond his term. – Alexis Romero, Michael Punongbayan, Neil Jayson Servallos, Romina Cabrera, Evelyn Macairan, Paolo Romero
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