ASEAN ministers condemn Marawi school bombing
MANILA, Philippines — The Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) denounced the “heinous attack” at the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City.
In their statement issued on Friday, the ministers strongly condemned the attack, highlighting its toll on innocent lives.
“ASEAN strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Marawi, Lanao del Sur Province, the Philippines on 3 December 2023, which resulted in the loss of innocent lives and caused injuries to more than 50 people,” the ASEAN ministers said in a statement.
The bombing of MSU in Marawi City, for which the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility, killed four individuals and left 45 people injured during a Catholic mass.
In 2017, IS, to whom the Maute group and Abu Sayaff pledged allegiance, initiated the siege of Marawi, resulting in a devastating toll with thousands of casualties.
“We stand in solidarity and are ready to work with the Government and people of the Philippines during this difficult time. We also reaffirm our commitment to continue, strengthen, and enhance regional counterterrorism cooperation to prevent recurrence of terrorist incident in the future,” the ASEAN ministers said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) expressed gratitude for the ASEAN community's solidarity and expressed openness to any support or assistance from the regional bloc.
“We welcome any future assistance that the ASEAN may extend to further enhance intelligence to prevent any similar incident from happening again,” DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said.
On December 4, the accomplice of the person who left the improvised explosive device was apprehended by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
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