HOUSE CONDEMNS MSU BOMBING
THE House of Representatives has adopted a resolution strongly condemning the December 3 bombing of a Catholic mass celebration by students of the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi.
House Resolution 1504 emphasized the urgency to expedite the investigation and subsequent prosecution of the perpetrators of the crime.
Authors include Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” D. Gonzales, Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Minority Leader Marcelino C. Libanan, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, and Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Jude A. Acidre, and Ziaur-Rahman “Zia” Alonto Adiong.
“The House of Representatives condemns this act of violence perpetrated against innocent students and undertaken in a place of learning. I condole with the families of those who died and sympathize with those injured in the blast,” Romualdez said.
On December 3, 2023, a powerful explosion ripped through the Dimaporo Gymnasium in MSU that instantly claimed four lives and severely injured many mass goers, particularly students.
The resolution described the event as “an extremely disturbing, appalling and tragic event which occurred in a place of learning and fellowship and during Sunday service, jeopardizing the peace process the Government has initiated in Mindanao, and disrupting the peace and security of the communities in the region.”
“It was reported that the terrorist attack happened after military actions against local terrorist groups in the region resulted to the death of a group leader of the Dawlah Islamiya-Maute group, a group linked to the ISIS that previously attempted to establish Marawi as part of the caliphate resulting in a five-month conflict causing numerous casualties in 2017,” the resolution read.
“There is an urgent need for a thorough investigation of this incident by the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, and all government agencies concerned, to determine the perpetrators of these senseless and horrific killings,” it added.
The bigger chamber expressed “its deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims, and is committed to support the affected residents to ensure that those responsible for this heinous act are brought to justice.”
