“Four years after the grisly attack, we continue to mourn with the families of the victims and the survivors. Day in and day out, these families are constantly reminded of the horror brought by the bomb explosion to their lives,” he added.that was believed to be caused by an improvised explosive device. Military and police officials pointed the act to the extremist terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, although the latter said it was not them responsible for these actions.
The law amending the Human Security Act of 2007 — the Anti-Terrorism Act, which Duterte’s father President Rodrigo Duterte advocated for — was passed only in 2020. “Although the perpetrators were convicted as murderers, they would have been convicted as terrorists as well — if only the Philippines has a good anti-terror law,” the younger Duterte said.
“And if only the Philippines has a good anti-terror law, the kind of justice for the victims of that terror attack would have been even more meaningful not only to their families but also to the peace-loving Dabawenyos who want to ensure that their future is free from the threats of terrorism,” he added. “We believe that the decision underlines the urgency to enforce strong laws against people and groups that espouse terrorism.