‘Cotabato bombers deserve wrath of Allah’

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) slammed the car bomb attack in Cotabato City on Monday, August 5, that left at least 8 people dead.

Muhammad Ameen, chair of the MILF secretariat, said the MILF condemns the bombing calling it barbaric where civilians are “deliberately targeted as means to deliver message for an evil agenda.” 


“Whoever did this deserved the wrath of Allah,” Ameen said.

The MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces spokesman Von Al-Haq said the incident is a terrorist attack and that similar attempts in the future must be stopped.

“We strongly condemn this inhuman, dastard and terroristic act that caused the lives of innocent people. This group, whoever they are, should not have a place in our society,” Al-Haq said.

Ameen said that fighting and attacks are prohibited during the month of Ramadan even if there is an ongoing conflict in the area.

No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

BIFF’s denial

Despite text messages and Facebook posts saying that the splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters has established an alliance with the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah and is planning to set off more bombs in several locations in Mindanao, Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the BIFF, said the rebel group has not participated in attacks against civilians.

“We know that the bomb is not an ordinary bomb. The question here is that how was the bomb transported inside the city,” Mama said, explaining that the rebel group has no capacity to make such explosives.

“I am asking the public not to fear the BIFF because it is not the doing of Mujahedeens to hurt civilians,” added Mama.

Like the MILF, Mama said the BIFF is condemning the attack and that the perpetrators must pay for it. – Rappler.com