Can there be peace in the southern Philippines?
Two bomb blasts on Sunday are a reminder that the security situation in the southern Philippines remains fragile.
At least 20 people have been killed in twin bombings in the Muslim-majority southern Philippines on Sunday.
The first explosion happened during Sunday Mass inside the Catholic cathedral in Jolo, the capital of Sulu province.
A second blast occurred as soldiers arrived at the scene. Scores of people were wounded.
The attacks followed last Monday’s referendum in the Mindanao region, which overwhelmingly voted for more self rule in the culmination of a decades-long peace process. But the proposal was narrowly rejected in Jolo and Sulu province.
The timing of Sunday’s bombs has raised questions over whether the attack was meant to derail the peace process.
Presenter: Laura Kyle
Guests:
Jose Antonio Custodio – Defence and security analyst; former consultant to the National Security Council in the Philippines
Emma Leslie – Director, Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
Steve Rood – former Philippines country representative, The Asia Foundation