At least four people were killed and more than 40 individuals were injured during a bombing of a state university in the southern Philippines, where a Sunday Mass was being celebrated on December 3.
According to Brigadier General Allan Nobleza, regional police director, one angle they are currently investigating is if the bombing was retaliation by pro-Islamic State militants.
The day before, the Philippine military confirmed they killed 11 militants, including members of the pro-Islamic State group Dawlah Islamiyah-Philippines, during an operation in the Province of Maguindanao del Sur.
Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr. condemned the bombing, saying: "Terroristic attacks on educational institutions must also be condemned because these are places that promote the culture of peace."
Caritas Philippines also appealed for the swift identification and apprehension of the individuals responsible for the bombing.
"I am appalled by the blatant act of terror that the perpetrators were able to commit, especially at this time when we are celebrating the Mindanao Week of Peace!" said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, Chairman of the Social Action, Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
He also urged Caritas stakeholders, including the government, religious leaders, and the whole community, to collaborate in "fostering an environment of peace despite the incident despite the incident."
"Concerted efforts must be made to prevent the recurrence of such violent incidents and to safeguard the fundamental right to worship without fear of anyone," said the bishop.
Moreover, Mindanao State University said about the incident in a Facebook post: "We unequivocally condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless and horrific act."
They announced a suspension of classes on the campus for an indefinite period.
Marawi City was the center of an Islamic siege and takeover for five months in 2017.- Luke Godoy
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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