PNP now searching for child of couple behind deadly Jolo blasts

(Eagle News)—The Philippine National Police is now looking for the child of the couple believed behind the Jolo, Sulu bombings that killed at least 23.

PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said this was so the child could identify the couple–initially believed to be Indonesian— who police said  carried out the blasts at the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in January.

“Mayroon silang iniwan na anak dito sa Pilipinas and hopefully makita natin dahil paglaki nyan posibleng maging potential suicide bomber. Kasi of course, they saw it dito sa kanyang parents,” Albayalde added.

Albayalde issued the statement after results of a DNA test on two pairs of severed feet found in the blasts site showed they did not belong to any of the 23 fatalities.

The police said this boosted the argument two foreigners had carried out the suicide bombings that came after the Bangsamoro Organic Law that aims to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a more autonomous  Bangsamoro was deemed ratified.

Authorities have denied, however, that the blasts had to do with the BOL ratification, saying the couple carried out the attacks with the aim of “serving as an example” to local terrorists.