TWO suicide bombers, believed to be a couple, were behind the twin explosions at a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu that took the lives of 21 people, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Tuesday, January 29.
Duterte said this information came from the military, who earlier said the explosions were not suicide bombing missions.
Read: AFP says Jolo blast not a suicide bombing mission
"I was briefed [by the military]," the President said in a chance interview in Malabon City Tuesday, January 29.
Duterte divulged that based on the 3 a.m. Tuesday briefing from the military, the suicide bombers were believed to be a "couple."
Asked for further details on the supposed suicide bombers, Duterte said: "Babae. Lalaki 'yung isa. Mag-asawa (One is a woman, and the other one is a man. They're a couple)."
Their identities were unknown as of Tuesday, the President said.
Duterte said there was assumption that the suicide bombers could be "Indonesian." He, however, noted that the initial information remains unverified.
"Eh kasi babae. Wala namang - It's not the norm in this country na mag-kapkap ka ng babae na nasa simbahan lalo - Kasi 'yung babae, almost wearing a cross pa. malaki ang cross sa dibdib niya so who would ever think," he said.
(Since she's a woman, no one would suspect. It's not the norm in the country to bodily inspect a woman who's going inside the church. And the woman was even wearing a cross, a big cross across her chest so who would ever think she could do that?)
"The other bomber was outside. There was no reason for him to be frisked. Either he was just passing by before blowing himself up," Duterte added.
Early Sunday morning, January 27, two explosions rocked Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu.
The twin blasts killed 21 people and injured scores of others. (SunStar Philippines)