It is heartbreaking to see the lives of innocent people wasted because of senseless killings in the Philippines. The recent twin bombing of a Catholic church in Jolo, Sulu is a human tragedy that does not only aim to kill but also crush a person’s faith and belief in practicing their religion of choice. An attack targeting a house of worship – be it a Catholic church, mosque, temple, or any other religious congregations – is a clear sign of discrimination and antagonism, which should not be tolerated in this free world, especially if it means killing civilians and taking innocent lives.

Will there be peace in my beloved country?

Now that the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the terror attack (even without any proof), does this mean the referendum to create a new Muslim autonomous region, which may bring peace between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebel group, will be put on hold?

There are some who say it won’t affect the referendum , including Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman, while others claim the bombing was related to the referendum since militant groups like Abu Sayyaf opted to welcome IS’ awful agenda to create a caliphate in Southeast Asia. Moreover, there are others claiming the bombing was revenge following an offensive attack by government troops that killed IS-linked extremists.

Whatever the reason is behind the attack, we should stand firm and united as a nation. This is not a just a fight between the government and military against the extremists and rebels; it is also our fight for peace and faith. Though we cannot fight with guns and violence like these people do, we can be vigilant in our surroundings and report people or strange sightings that may be bombs to proper authorities.

More importantly, we must increase our faith and continue to pray that God protects us, our families, and our country, as well asking Him for a conversion of hearts for these people who terrorize us with their inhumane methods./WDJ