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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, November 3, 2023 (SDN) — In what could be called a “terrorist” attack, still unidentified groups or individuals attacked Mindanao State University’s (MSU)-Marawi Campus, killing three persons and wounding seven others.
The Bangsamoro government condemned the bombing attack, carried out as Christians were doing their Sunday worship at the Dimaporo Gymnasium, an act that understandably received strong condemnation issued by various groups.
Joining the condemnation included, of course, the leadership of the MSU System headed by President Dr. Basari D. Mapupuno, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Mapupuno expressed the MSU community’s sentiments, which he said, “is deeply saddened and appalled by the act of violence and occurred during a religious gathering at the university gymnasium this morning of December 3.”
The MSU System president further said:
“We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless and horrific act and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families. We are committed to providing support and assistance to those affected by this tragedy.”
The Bangsamoro government offered its sentiments as well.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the inhumane bombing inside the Mindanao State University-Marawi City Dimaporo Gymnasium while our peace-loving Christian brothers and sisters were attending Sunday Mass,” said lawyer Minister Naguib G. Sinarimbo, head by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (BARMM-MILG).
The spokesman of the Bangsamoro government, he said the attack was a “sheer act of terror”, coming as it did inside an academic institution and during the celebration of the Mindanao Week of Peace.
“We denounce this heinous act of terrorism,” emphasized Sinarimbo, an alumnus of MSU-Marawi.
“We demand justice for the victims of the Marawi MSU bombing. We pray that this incident does not jeopardize our efforts to maintain peace in Mindanao and does not taint the progress of the peace process in the Bangdamoro.”
The MILG chief called on the MSU-Marawi community members to remain calm but staying more vigilant, assuring that the security sector is conducting a though investigation of the dastardly attack.
“Our sincere condolences to the families of the victims,” said Sinarimbo in a statement his office sent to SDN – SciTech & Digital News.
Mapupuno pointed out that the MSU-Marawi’s “immediate priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all consituents, particularly our Christian community. We are aware of the heightened sensitivities and concerns that arise from such a tragic event, and we want to assure everyone that we are taking every measure possible to protect our students, faculty, and staff.”
Responding to the “terror” attack, the MSU-Main Campus leadership suspended classes as well as all academic activities until further notice.
He also emphasized the university administration has deployed additional security personnel to safeguard the campus.
In relation with the Sunday Mass incident, the leadership of the Police Regional Office (PRO-BARMM) headed by Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Director Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza said the PRO-BARMM is looking into the the deaths of 11 members of the ISIS-affiliated Dawlah Islamiyyah in the province Maguindanao del Sur.
“That is one of the angles that we are investigating right because that’s one of the closest possible angle in this (bombing) incident,” Nobleza said as reported by GMA7’s Radio DZBB.
He was referring to killing of the members of the group on December 1.
He said they declared “full alert status” in response to the MSU Main Campus incident.
The chief executive of Lanao del Sur province, Gov. Bombit Alonto Adiong also condemned the Sunday Mass attack.
“I condemn the violent bombing incident that transpired this morning at the Dimaporo Gymnasium at the Mindanao State University during a Sunday Mass congregation,” he said as quoted by GMA News Online.
“He in my province, we uphold basic human rights, and that includes the right to (exercise) religion,” the Adiong said, adding terrorist attacks on educational institutions which promote the culture of peace must also be condemned.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)