Recent twin Davao bombings designed ‘to embarrass Duterte’: MNLF lawyer

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 17): Recent twin Davao bombings designed ‘to embarrass Duterte’: MNLF lawyer

The lawyer of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari branded the recent twin bombings in the city as an act of terrorism designed to embarrass Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

MNLF lawyer Salvador Panelo on Tuesday also denied speculations that the two mall cinema bombings were made to divert attention from the ongoing firefight between the government and MNLF in Zamboanga City.

“They are just trying to embarrass Duterte,” Panelo said.

Panelo said the incident in Zamboanga could not be diverted since it is a continuing occurrence and the people and the media’s attention were focused on the incident.

“Even there’s a series of incidents, you cannot divert the attention of the people from Zamboanga incident, even now,” Panelo said, adding “it is most likely that ‘yong mga terrorists, they are taking advantage of the situation in Zamboanga.”

Panelo said the goal of the terrorist is always to destabilize the place or country they targeted. "They are there to sow fear, panic and confusion among the people," he said.

Panelo theorized that the bombings in Cinema 1 in SM City shopping mall in Ecoland, Davao City and Cinema 5 of Gaisano Mall in Bajada, late Monday evening, were probably the handiwork of terrorists to show that they can penetrate anywhere.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=566641