(Eagle News) — The Philippine National Police on Tuesday, Jan. 29, said it was possible the four teenagers, who authorities earlier said were behind the Jolo, Sulu blasts over the weekend, were actually innocent.
PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Bernard Banac made the admission after a reporter noted what appeared to be the shocked reactions of three of the four teenagers to the second blast at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, based on footage from a closed-circuit television camera in the area.
Seconds before, a first blast rocked the cathedral itself while a Catholic mass was ongoing.
“We also consider that, that is also one possibility (that they are not behind the blasts),” Banac said.
According to Banac, investigators were still looking into the incident, which has so far been attributed to the Ajang Ajang faction of the Abu Sayyaf.
The police based their initial finding on what they said was known information one of the teenagers caught by the CCTV camera was a member of the group.
The Islamic State has also claimed responsibility for the attack, which came after the Commission on Elections deemed ratified the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
Banac, however, said that based on initial investigation, the explosions were “definitely not related” to the BOL ratification.
Banac said it was a “plain terrorist act.”
