Philippines promises full force of the law against bombing suspects

The full force of the law would come down on those behind a bombing in the Southern Philippines that killed nine people, the Country’s Defence Chief said on Wednesday.

The Islamic State terrorist network has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack on a military checkpoint in Lamitan City of Basilan province.

“We will do everything within our power to get to the bottom of this incident and we will apply the full force of the law on the perpetrators,’’ Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.

“I would like to say to those who are behind this cowardly and indiscriminate act of violence that justice will catch up with you and it will come in the form that you least expect and at a time that you will not predict,’’ he added in a statement.

Lorenzana urged the public to let the authorities investigate the bombing and “not to jump to any conclusion.’’

Five soldiers and four civilians, including two women and a boy related to the troops, were killed in the bombing, the military said.

The death toll was lowered to nine from 10 after one of the members of the government forces who had been reported dead turned out to be critically wounded, said Colonel Edgard Arevalo, a spokesman for the military.

The military had earlier blamed the attack on the Abu Sayyaf militant group, which is believed to be allied with Islamic State.