Crime scene barricade tapes surround the Sto. Niño Chapel in Cotabato City as scene of crime operatives (SOCO) conduct investigation shortly after the grenade blast that injured two parishioners Sunday morning (19 May 2024). MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 21 May) – Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. condemned Tuesday the grenade attack last Sunday, May 19, at a Catholic chapel in Cotabato City, saying the incident won’t hamper efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Galvez, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), said “this horrendous act of violence, carried out on Pentecost Sunday, a day of religious significance for Catholics, is a direct attack on the Filipino people’s commitment to religious freedom and peaceful co-existence and blatant disregard for human life.”
“We stand in solidarity with the Catholic community of Cotabato City and the entire Bangsamoro region during this unforeseen challenges,” he said in a statement.
Cotabato City is the seat of government of the BARMM, which is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, as well as the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.
Two individuals were injured by the grenade attack that occurred around 10:30 a.m. while a Sunday bible service was ongoing at the Sto. Niño Chapel along De Mazenod Avenue in Barangay Rosary Heights 3.
Galvez wished the victims a full and swift recovery.
He said the national government “will ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be held accountable for their actions.”
Authorities will exert all efforts to go after those responsible and bring them to justice, he added.
“Rest assured that this act of terror, which has no other aim but to sow fear, animosity and mistrust, will not slow down or dampen our resolve to achieving lasting peace, mutual understanding and solidarity in the Bangsamoro,” Galvez said.
He urged residents in Cotabato City and across the region to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the proper authorities.
“Let us all work together to prevent such tragedies from happening again, and to help foster a more peaceful, inclusive and harmonious environment that respects the diverse faiths within our communities,” Galvez said.
On Monday, Archbishop Emeritus of Cotabato Orlando B. Cardinal Quevedo, OMI, also condemned the incident.
In a statement, Quevedo, Mindanao’s first and only cardinal, said “the dastardly bombing of a Catholic chapel is a horrendous sacrilegious act that cries out to heaven.” (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)