PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has said that the terrorist group Islamic State (Isis) was not behind the recent explosions in Quiapo, Manila.
In the pilot episode of his "Mula sa Masa, Para sa Masa" television program aired on People's Television Network (PTV 4) on Friday, Duterte said the blasts, which killed two people and wounded six others early this month, were likely rido-related.
"But certainly it is not an Isis thing. One is that kung Isis iyan di puputok sa Quiapo 'yan, it could be somewhere else but definitely not Quiapo. Kasi puro, karamihan nakatira diyan kapatid natin na Moro," he said.
"If it is Isis, I do not think it would start there or initiated in that place. But there is bad blood amongst the groups of persons there. It could be a rido...a rido is a vendetta, tawag naming dyan e vendetta ng isang pamilya o isang grupo but yung pipe bomb na pumutok at saka yung, the subsequent ones, yung dalawa," the President explained.
Duterte said he did not like the Isis, but he also did not like to attribute things which the terrorists did not do.
The explosions in Quiapo prompted some foreign government's to issue travel warnings to its nationals in going to certain parts of the country. (SDR/SunStar Philippines)