Terror acts in Mindanao brought about by poverty — Arroyo

The twin bombings in a Catholic church in Sulu which killed 21 people over the weekend and the ensuing bombing in Zamboanga City early Wednesday morning which killed two others are terror acts done due to poverty, according to Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"The last attacks, we believe were terrorist attacks and we are very grateful to Saudi Arabia because you are with us in the fight against terrorism," Arroyo, who recently traveled to Saudi Arabia with six legislators to seek for investments in Mindanao in light of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic law (BOL).

The BOL will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region with an expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, increased share in national government resources, among others.

"When I was President of the Philippines, I have always said that terrorism is very much related, at least in the Philippines, to poverty. And in the Philippines as well the problem of peace in Muslim Mindanao are also very much related to the problems of poverty,” Arroyo said.

The blasts in Sulu and Zamboanga City were the sixth and seventh bombing incidents in Mindanao for the last six months despite the heightened military presence there due to the imposition of martial law since May 2017.

With martial law in effect, authorities are allowed to arrest suspected criminals even without a warrant. These people arrested without warrant, however, must be charged within three days or they will be set free.

President Rodrigo Duterte put Mindanao martial law to suppress the rebellion led by the Maute group which held Marawi City in Lanao del Norte under siege for five months in 2017. — Llanesca T. Panti/RSJ, GMA News