On 2 Sept 2016 at approximately 22:30 in the evening bombs exploded in crowded night market in Davao City in the Southern Philippines killing 15 people and wounding over 70 others. 

Filipino church leaders have denounced the bombing of a market by Islamist terrorists, urging the government to find those responsible and bring them to justice. On 2 Sept 2016 at approximately 22:30 in the evening bombs exploded in crowded night market in Davao City in the Southern Philippines killing 15 people and wounding over 70 others. The Islamist terrorist group Abu Sayyaf initially claimed responsibility for the attack, but later said it had been carried out by an allied group, the Daulat Ul-Islamiya, in sympathy with Abu Sayyaff. On 28 Aug 2016 the president of the Philippines Roderigo Duterte (pictured) — who had served for 22 years as mayor of Davao before being taking office as president on June 30, 2016 — ordered the Philippine Army to destroy Abu Sayyaff in the wake of the kidnapping and murder of a young man. An Islamist militant group, Abu Sayyaff has called for the Philippines to adopt Sharia law and for Duterte to convert to Islam and will wage war to create an Islamic state. Following the bombing President Duterte declared a nationwide state of alert and mobilized the army to defeat domestic terrorism. The ABS-CBN news service in Manila reported the Communist Party of the Philippines, who have waged a guerrilla war against the government on the Northern island of Luzon for over 50 year, have accused the United States government of being behind the bombing. In a statement released the day after the attack the Communist Party said the US wanted to break up peace talks under way between the government and Communist guerillas. The prime bishop of the Episcopal Church of the Philippines, however, said the focus of concern should be on the victims. In a statement released via Facebook, the Most Rev. Renato Abibico said: “We pray for the victims of the Davao bombing. We commend to god the souls of innocents who perished. We pray for fast healing and recovery of those who were injured. And we pray that justice maybe served while we condemn the dastard, cowardly and despicable act.”