No link between Jolo blasts, Zambo City grenade attack —police

Local police have not seen any connection between Sunday's twin blasts at a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu, and the grenade attack on a mosque in Zamboanga City early Wednesday morning.

"Initially parang hindi po namin sila kino-connect kasi grenade throwing po ito eh. Sa Jolo is IED (improvised explosive device) pero 'yung level naman po ng aming alertness ay mataas pa rin po," Senior Inspector Shelamie Chang, Zamboanga City police spokesman, said in a phone interview on Unang Balita.

"Naka-full alert po since after nung explosion sa Jolo po," he added. Nagkataon lang po siguro talaga na may mga taong masama ang balak doon."

According to Chang, authorities have yet to determine the motive of the grenade-throwing incident, which killed two individuals and wounded three others.

"So far wala pa pong mahanap na lead po at wala pa rin po tayong initial na motive regarding sa nangyari pong pambabato ng granada doon sa mosque," Chang said.

The grenade attack at the Logoy Diutay, Barangay Talon-Talon mosque took place at 12:20 a.m., according to a police spot report.

The victims are preachers from Lamitan and Isabela in Basilan who were in the city to conduct preaching activities.They were asleep inside the mosque as part of preparations for a scheduled early morning prayer.

Police have initially coordinated with the victims to get their statements on the incident.

"Nagkaroon na po ng initial interview pero di rin po mahaba ang usapan dahil naguundergo sila ng medical attention nung nakausap sila ng investigator. Ang initial lang po na nakuha ay natutulog po sila," Chang said. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK, GMA News