Palace spokesman Harry Roque on Wednesday said that placing Sulu under martial law was in President Rodrigo Duterte’s horizon after its capital town Jolo was rocked by two deadly suicide blasts.
Both army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejena and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa have recommended martial law in Sulu.
In an interview over CNN Philippines’ The Source, Roque said Duterte had received the recommendations.
Asked if Duterte was leaning toward declaring martial law, Roque responded: “Let’s just say that the recommendations have been made, and the president listens to those on the ground.”
At least 14 soldiers and civilians were killed in the bombing incidents.
Sobejana said in an ABS-CBN interview that two female suicide bombers were behind the blasts.
According to a CNN Philippines report, the first suicide bomber was identified as Inda Nhay, widow of ISIS-trained bomb expert Abu Talha who was killed by the military last year.
The second suicide bomber was believed to be the widow of Norman Lasuca, an Abu Sayyaf member known to be the first-ever Filipino suicide bomber. John Ezekiel J. Hirro