Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday, Dec. 3, strongly condemned the bombing inside the gymnasium of the Mindanao State University (MSU), calling it an act of violence and cowardice as she appealed for calm and vigilance while the authorities started their investigation.
Vice President Sara Duterte, in a video message, condemns the deadly bombing at the Mindanao State University’s gymnasium in Marawi City as she condoles with the families of the fatalities. (Inday Sara Duterte screenshot / Facebook)
In a video message posted on her Facebook page, the official condoled with the families of some four people who were killed and several others who were injured when the bombing took place on Sunday morning inside MSU’s gym.
“Kasabay nito ay ang ating mahigpit na pagkondena sa nangyaring pagpapasabog at sa mga tao o grupo na nasa likod nito (With this is our strong condemnation in the bombing that happened and against the people or group behind it),” she said.
Lamenting that those who perished and got injured were civilians, Duterte expressed her concern that the incident happened inside a Catholic church in the MSU compound, which she stressed has a long and bloody history of terrorism.
“Isa itong gawaing mapangahas ngunit malinaw rin sa atin na isa itong karuwagan (This is outrageous but it is also clear that it is an act of cowardice),” she added.
The official, a Mindanaoan herself, asked Filipinos, especially those from Mindanao, to be calm while authorities are conducting an investigation into the blast.
“Gayunpaman, kailangan rin nating maging maingat at maging mapagmatyag upang mapigilan natin ang mga maaaring susunod pang atake sa mga sibilyan (However, we need to be careful and vigilant so we can prevent any future attacks against civilians),” she said.
She recalled the “victories” of seeking peace in Mindanao and the Philippines, particularly when the Roxas Night Market in Davao City was bombed when she was still mayor in 2016.
Noting the fear and pain that such violence brings, the Vice President urged Filipinos to be steadfast in the face of challenges to peace and threats of terrorism.
“Huwag nating hayaan na magtagumpay ang kasamaan laban sa bayang nagkakaisa para sa kapayapaan (Let us not allow evil to win against a nation united for peace),” Duterte, also the co-vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), added.
The explosion rocked MSU’s gymnasium on Sunday morning, Dec. 3, during a mass.
According to reports, more than 40 people were brought to government hospital Amai Pakpak Medical Center.
Police BGen Allan Nobleza, director of Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said authorities have yet to determine the motive for the blast, as well as the type of explosive used.
He also said they are looking if the blast is connected to the current operations the military and police have launched in BARMM.