MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers on Tuesday called on the police and the military to step up intelligence and security measures after a powerful explosion that left 11 people dead in Lamitan City, Basilan.
The blast happened after soldiers and members of Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit stopped a van at an Army checkpoint and tried to search it early Tuesday morning on the outskirts of Lamitan.
One soldier, five militia members, four civilians and the van driver—a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf group—were killed, Col. Edgard Arevalo,Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, said.
At least seven were wounded, he added.
Rep. Ruffy Biazon (Muntinlupa City) and Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that the incident appears to be a case of suicide terrorist attack.
“If it is indeed a suicide attack, this indicates a levelling up of terrorism in the country opening up a whole new dimension on how the government’s forces will prevent and pursue terrorism. The risk to the populace will significantly increase if this method becomes mainstream to local terrorists,” Biazon said.
Lacson, a former Philippine National Police chief, said that should the incident be established as a case of suicide bombing, it could start a trend of such terroristic acts that could hit other places in the Philippines.
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“This incident should compel the police, military and the intelligence community to step up its counter-terrorism operations particularly to prevent future attacks and trace the persons behind this particular act of terror,” Biazon, senior vice chairman of the lower house’s committee on national defense and security, said.
Mindanao, where Basilan is, has been under martial law since May 2017 partly to thwart terrorist attacks. The state of martial law will remain over the region until at least December 31, although Congress has readily agreed to extend the declaration twice.
But the AFP spokesperson clarified that the military could not yet confirm reports of the blast being a case of a suicide bombing.
Arevalo said that Abu Sayyaf Basilan commander Furuji Indama was behind the explosion.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Nancy Binay appealed to authorities to immediately investigate the deadly blast and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The administration must secure the peace in the region. It must see to it that this incident will not derail our efforts to achieve peace and prosperity in the region, especially with the passage of the Bangasamoro Organic Law,” Hontiveros said.
The explosion came less than a week after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the BOL, which seeks to create greater autonomy in the southern Philippines and end conflict in that part of Mindanao.
The Abu Sayyaf is considered a terrorist group and is not privy to the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front that led to the BOL. — with a report from Agence France-Presse
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