Catholic chapel brutally attacked, religious icons destroyed with hammer by Philippine terrorists

Islamic terrorists strike again in small Philippine town.

A Catholic chapel, full of consecrated hosts and religious icons, in the Philippines, was the target of a brutal attack by an Islamic terrorist organization.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) destroyed the chapel and everything inside it during a nine-hour long raid in the town of     in Southern Philippines.

Cardinal Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato condemns "in the strongest terms possible the wicked desecration of the Catholic Chapel of Malagakit in the parish of Pigcawayan."

The attack, taking place on June 21, was initiated by around 300 BIFF gunmen, according to reports. During the violent incident, they also robbed houses and stores.

Hundreds of Malagakit residents were displaced and caught in the fight between the terrorists and the government forces, according to Realan Mamon, the police chief of Pigkawayan town.

Cardinal Quevedo, searching for peace and harmony, has asked for prayers of the Archdiocese and urges the Malagakit Catholics to restore what has been destroyed.

"If the BIFF wants to have an image as a 'respecter' of all religions, it must punish its members who perpetrated the odious desecration in Malagakit and educate all its members in strictly respecting other religions," expressed Cardinal Quevedo.

According to Salvador Almonia, Jr., chairman of Malagakit, the aggressive attack on the Catholic chapel was more than likely meant to divide the calm unity between the town's Catholics and Muslims.

"That was meant to sow anger among us. We will not respond the way the BIFF want us to respond to that despicable act," he said.

"Let us be sober and continue with the friendship and solidarity that we have. We just have to be vigilant, and we need to help each other prevent a repeat of the incident," Shirlyn Macasarte-Villanueva, vice governor of North Cotabato stated.

This most recent attack follows a similar one by the ISIS-affiliated terrorist group, Maute, a month earlier. Their attack left a Catholic Cathedral burned and a Catholic priest and his worshippers taken hostage and has left over a dozen people dead.

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