Two bombs at a Roman Catholic cathedral in southern Philippines have killed 20

people and injured dozens more, local officials say.

The Islamic State (IS) group said it was behind the attack on Jolo island, where jihadist
groups are active.

The first blast happened as Sunday Mass was being celebrated. A second device
exploded outside as soldiers responded.

The attack came days after a majority-Muslim area in the region voted for greater
autonomy in a referendum.

A statement from IS said the attack was carried out by "two knights of martyrdom"
against a "crusader temple".

Jolo has long been a base for militants, including those of the Abu Sayyaf group.
Several of its factions have declared allegiance to IS.
 Who are the Abu Sayyaf group?
 Philippines country profile

What is known about the attack?

The local officials say the first blast happened at 08:45 local time (00:45 GMT) inside
the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been hit by bombs in the past.

The second explosion was shortly afterwards on the doorstep of the church.

Police initially put the death toll at 27 but later lowered it to 20, saying there was double
counting in earlier official reports.

Most of the victims are civilians.

Image copyrightHUW EVANS PICTURE AGENCYImage captionThe bomb attack devastated the
church in Jolo

Images posted on social media showed the main road leading to the church sealed off
by soldiers in armoured personnel carriers.

Some of the wounded were evacuated by air to the nearby city of Zamboanga.

Calling the attack a "dastardly act", Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana urged the local
population to work with the authorities to "deny terrorism any victory".

"We will use the full force of the law to bring to justice the perpetrators behind this
incident."
Image copyrightEPAImage captionThe army has been deployed to the area after the bomb blasts

In last week's referendum, voters approved the creation of the Bangsamoro

Autonomous Region in majority-Muslim areas of southern Philippines.

But voters in Sulu province, where Jolo is located, rejected it.

The referendum was the result of a peace deal between the government and the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The authorities have previously expressed hopes that the vote could be a political
solution to try to end decades of fighting between Islamist separatists and the Philippine
army in the predominantly Catholic country.
 Mindanao vote could end decades of violence

More than 120,000 people have died in the violence.

 Sulu police: Suicide bombers
behind Jolo twin blasts
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 01 2019 11:57 AM | Updated as of Feb 01 2019 08:19 PM

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MANILA—(2ND UPDATE) Suicide bombers were behind twin blasts in Jolo Cathedral Sunday
that left 22 dead and at least 100 hurt, Sulu police said Friday.

This confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte's earlier statement that the bomb attack on the Our Lady of
Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo was a suicide bombing.

Authorities had to check the information after witnesses said they saw a "suspicious" womanleave a
package near one of the pews at the church.

Sulu Provincial Police director Senior Supt. Pablo Labra said several eyewitnesses pointed to a man
and a woman who they believe were responsible for the bombings.

Testimonies, according to Labra, indicate that the woman took a seat inside the church while the man
walked out.

The woman, who was wearing a gray-looking jacket, carried a backpack and did not leave before the
first blast. The second bomb, meanwhile, was on the male bomber when it exploded, Labra said.

Labra added that as of Friday, two pairs of severed legs remained unclaimed, indicating that these
may belong to the suicide bombers.

Results of a DNA test on the severed body parts will be out in a few days, Labra said. He, however,
declined to comment on the nationality of the bombers.

At least 4 persons of interest, including the alleged brother of a slain Abu Sayyaf official,
surrendered to authorities earlier this week to clarify that they had nothing to do with the bombing.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the military is looking at the
involvement of the IS-inspired Abu Sayyaf group in the incident.

The blasts occurred while Mindanao remained under martial law.

 Mga suicide bomber nasa
likod ng Jolo blast'
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Feb 01 2019 03:17 PM | Updated as of Feb 01 2019 08:38 PM

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Watch more in iWant or TFC.tv

(UPDATED) MAYNILA -- Suicide bombing ang nangyaring pambobomba sa Our Lady Of Mount
Carmel Cathedral sa Jolo, Sulu na ikinamatay ng 22 katao at ikinasugat ng higit 100 iba pa, ayon sa
mga awtoridad ngayong Biyernes.

Sinabi ni Sulu provincial police director Senior Superintendent Pablo Labra II na base ito sa
pinagsama-samang resulta ng kanilang imbestigasyon at mga testimonya ng mga testigo.

Ayon daw sa mga testigo, lumalabas na isang babae at lalaki ang nakitang pumasok sa simbahan.
Naiwan umano sa loob ng simbahan ang isang babaeng may suot na jacket at bitbit na bag habang
lumabas ang lalaki na hindi malinaw kung saan pumunta.

Bago sumabog ang bomba, ang nasabing babae ang nakita umano ng mga testigo na nasa lugar kung
saan nangyari ang unang pagsabog.

Ayon naman kay Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Indonesian couple ang nasa likod ng mga
pambobomba at ang gumabay sa kanila ay mga miyembro ng bandidong grupo na Abu Sayyaf.

"Ang talagang nagpasabog du'n ay Indonesia 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," ayon kay Año.

Kinukumpirma nito ang unang pahayag ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na mga suicide bomber ang
nasa likod ng naturang pambobomba.

Nauna nang inako ng teroristang grupo na Islamic State (IS) ang nangyaring atake.

Sinilip din ng militar ang pagkakadawit ng bandidong grupo na Abu Sayyaf sa insidente matapos
ituro ang kanilang Ajang-Ajang faction bilang isa sa mga pangunahing suspek.
Magugunitang lumapit sa mga awtoridad ang apat na persons of interest, kabilang ang isang alyas
"Kamah" na sinasabing kapatid ng isang Abu Sayyaf leader para linawin na wala silang kinalaman sa
pambobomba.

Samantala, mula sa 21 patay, umakyat sa 22 ang bilang ng binawian ng buhay. Nasawi ang biktima
na si Thelma Villanueva, 68, sa Intensive Care Unit ng Zamboanga City Medical Center.

KINONDENA NG MGA MUSLIM

Watch more in iWant or TFC.tv

Naniniwala ang National Commission on Muslim Filipinos na hindi mga tunay na Muslim ang mga
nagbomba sa Mindanao.

Ito raw ay dahil labag sa kanilang relihiyon ang manakit ng kapwa at manira sa mga simbahan.

"In Islam, killing an innocent person is a crime against humanity. Only these misguided extremists
are capable of doing this dastardly act," ani Saidmanen Pangarungan, secretary ng grupo.

Tiniyak naman ng Islamic religious group na Ulama and Imam of the Philippines na karamay nila
ang komunidad ng mga Muslim sa pagbabantay sa ano mang banta na maaari pang pumasok sa
bansa.

Dahil sa insidente, hinigpitan ang seguridad sa ilang simbahan, partikular na sa Nazareno at Grand
Mosque sa Quiapo, kahit pa walang banta sa seguridad sa Kamaynilaan.

Pinaalaahanan din ang mga deboto na huwag nang magdala ng mga malalaking bag tuwing
magmimisa.

Nanawagan ang Philippine National Police na maging mapagmatyag kasunod ng nangyari.

-- May ulat nina Ron Gagalac at Chiara Zambrano, ABS-CBN News

 Simbahan sa Sulu pinasabog,
20 patay
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jan 27 2019 03:54 PM | Updated as of Jan 28 2019 12:02 PM

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Dalawang bomba ang sumabog sa isang simbahan sa Jolo, Sulu nitong Linggo. Retrato mula sa Armed
Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command

Dalawampung tao ang namatay kasunod ng pagsabog ng dalawang bomba sa isang simbahan sa
bayan ng Jolo, Sulu nitong umaga ng Linggo, ayon sa mga awtoridad.

Kasama sa 20 namatay sa Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral ang 15 sibilyan at limang sundalo,
base sa tala ng pulisya nitong alas-2 ng hapon ng Linggo.

Nasugatan naman ang 81 tao, kasama ang 65 sibilyan, 14 sundalo at dalawang pulis, ayon kay Chief
Superintendent Graciano Mijares ng Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police.
Naunang sinabi ni Mijares na 27 ang nasawi sa mga pagsabog pero itinama niya rin ito. Nagkaroon
daw ng double entries sa tala.

Sumabog ang unang bomba bandang 8:30 ng umaga sa gitna ng misa, ayon kay Colonel Gerry
Besana, tagapagsalita ng Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command.

Isa namang bomba ang sumabog sa parking area ng simbahan habang rumeresponde ang puwersa ng
gobyerno sa naunang pagsabog, ani Besana.

Nangako ang Malacañang na dudurugin ang mga taong nasa likod ng mga pagsabog.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines will rise to the challenge and crush these godless criminals.
We will pursue to the ends of the Earth the ruthless perpetrators behind this dastardly crime until
every killer is brought to justice and put behind bars," sabi sa isang pahayag ni Presidential
Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

Nangyari ang pagsabog ilang araw lamang matapos maratipika ang Bangsamoro Organic Law
(BOL), na magbibigay daan sa pagtatag ng bagong rehiyon sa Mindanao at magbibigay sa mga
Muslim doon ng mas malawak na kapangyarihang pamahalaan ang kanilang sariling rehiyon.

Pero para kay National Security Adviser Jun Esperon, masyado pang maaga para sabihing konektado
ang mga pagsabog sa plebisito sa Bangsamoro, na bahagi ng isang kasunduang pangkapayapaan sa
pagitan ng gobyerno at ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"We have yet to establish if the two explosion are related to the all-important BOL," ani Esperon.

Tumanggi ang Sulu na mapabilang sa bubuoing Bangsamoro region matapos magwagi ang botong
"no" sa plebisito.

Tinitingnan din ng mga awtoridad kung kagagawan ng Abu Sayyaf Group ang insidente.

Pinaigting naman ng mga awtoridad ang seguridad hindi lang sa Jolo kundi pati sa mga kalapit na
lugar gaya ng Zamboanga City at Basilan.-- Ulat nina Queenie Casimiro, Leizel Lacastesantos at
Jewel Reyes, ABS-CBN News

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