The Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested the prime suspect in last week’s deadly Jolo church blast, which claimed 21 lives and injured 111 others, along with four alleged accomplices, though the attack’s alleged mastermind remains on the run.
The suspects surrendered to the PNP “over the weekend,” PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said at a press conference this morning.
Police identified the ringleader of the group as a “student” named Kammah L. Pae, though no age or additional information about Pae has yet been released.
The PNP also said that Pae worked with two suicide bombers, an Indonesian couple, whose names have not been given. In a separate statement, Albayalde said that the woman detonated the explosive inside the church while the man detonated another explosive near its entrance a few seconds later.
Albayalde said they are still investigating how Pae met the couple and if Pae was involved in another crime prior to the church bombing.
Last week, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said that two Indonesian suicide bombers were behind the attack and that they were helped by the Abu Sayaff, CNN Philippines reported. However, experts have expressed doubt over Año’s theory, citing lack of evidence.
Aside from the couple, Pae had four other accomplices, all of whom surrendered with him: Albaji Kisae Gadjali, Rajan Bakil Gadjali, Kaisar Bakil Gadjali, and Salir Alih. Pae and the four others are allegedly members of the Abu Sayaff’s Ajang Ajang group.
The initial explosion at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral took place on Jan. 27 in the middle of Sunday mass. It was followed by another blast that occurred after government troops arrived.
Albayalde said that their group is led by a man named Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who is said to be the mastermind behind the attack. Sawadjaan is still at large, as well as 13 other suspects.
Alabayalde said during the press conference earlier today that the group is Sulu-based and have been planning the crime for a year. “They found an opportunity to do it [on Jan. 27] that’s why they were able to carry it out,” he said in Filipino.
Meanwhile, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Amador Corpus said all the components used in making the bomb were bought from a hardware store in Sulu.
Albayalde said the explosion was an “act of terror,” which the Abu Sayaff did so that it could receive funds from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). He also said that the explosion was done to sow discord between Muslims and Christians.
He said residents of Jolo would know where the other suspects are and called on them to actively participate in giving information so that the other suspects could be caught.
The suspects will be brought today to the Sulu provincial prosecutor’s office, where they will be charged with multiple counts of murder, reported ABS-CBN News.
