Lorenzana says ops vs. suicide bombers who escaped after killing of soldiers to continue

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday assured the public that operations against two female alleged suicide bombers in Jolo, Sulu would continue.

"Tuloy naman, iba na 'yung maghahawak noon kasi namatay na nga 'yung apat na sumusunod sa dalawa na 'yun pero tuloy pa rin. Marami naman silang intelligence teams sa Jolo," Lorenzana said in an interview on GMA Network's Unang Hirit.

The four intelligence officers killed at the hands of police officers were tracking the said suicide bombers, who, according to Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Gilbert Gapay, were married to the men involved in the suicide bombing attacks in Indanan last year.

"These are the suspected bombers. So nando’n na, they’re about to capture them, ‘yung bahay na lang pini-pinpoint, and we lost the opportunity,” Gapay earlier said. “Imagine, these two could make two more Jolo Cathedral bombings ha. ‘Yun ang potential nila."

While tracking the alleged suicide bombers, the soldiers were flagged down by cops. A police report stated that these men had identified themselves as military personnel but were directed to proceed to the police station for verification of their identities.

Upon arriving at the station, the police report said the soldiers allegedly tried to escape, prompting the cops to chase them. The soldiers then allegedly disembarked from their vehicle and pointed their weapons at the policemen, prompting the latter to gun them down.

The Philippine Army is enraged with the incident, but Lorenzana had urged them to not inflame the emotions of the government troops so that the situation will no longer escalate.

The National Bureau of Investigation has found out that three of the soldiers slain each suffered three to eight gunshot wounds.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to meet the top officials of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines following the incident. — RSJ, GMA News