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President Rodrigo Duterte is "outraged" and "disappointed" on the bombing incident inside a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu last Sunday.

"Well, of course he was so angry for one. For another, he is so disappointed that the despite movement to thread the path towards peace and development there is still certain forces in that region who sow terror and kill and murder people," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.

Panelo said they will wait for the investigation to find out if the blast is related to the Bangsamoro Organic Law after Sulu voted "No" during the plebiscite last January 21.

Panelo said Duterte directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to secure the safety of the citizens, attend to the injured and provide succor to the families of the victims.

"He has ordered the AFP to undertake measures so that this incident will not happen again," he said.

Duterte is expected to visit Jolo Monday afternoon after a twin blasts occurred in a Cathedral that resulted to 20 people dead and 112 injured. Ella Dionisio/DMS

Despite Jolo blasts, martial law in Mindanao '' effective'': Panelo

Despite the bombing incidents in Mindanao, Malacanang said implementation of martial law in the area is still "effective".

"It’s effective but this incident is isolated by the way. So we will have to investigate why it happened," Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing in Malacanang on Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte arrived in Jolo Monday afternoon.

The twin blasts at a church on Sunday resulted to at least20 people dead, including security forces and 112 wounded.

Panelo said there would be more bombings just like what happened in Cotabato City before the conduct of plebiscite and in Jolo if martial law is not implemented.

"Can you imagine how many bombings there would have been if there is no martial law there in operation?" he said.

"There... would have been chaos and anarchy there. You see how they were able to get Marawi (City) but there was a martial law then," he added.

On the new infantry division President Rodrigo Duterte created, Panelo said the security forces cannot certainly stop every threat by the enemy.

"We can only learn from lessons and introduce more stringent steps to prevent the occurrence of another bombing," he said.

Panelo said he does not want to speculate that the bombing is related to the coming oral arguments in the Supreme Court on the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

"As I said, we have to wait for the investigation. We can only speculate and there have been many speculations," he said.

Panelo asid it will be "unfair" and "not good" if they will point at the Moro National Liberation Front to be behind the incident.

"I know that Nur Misuari (MNLF founding chairman) wants federalism than BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law) but he didn’t oppose it actively. In fact, he was non-committal with respect to the plebiscite," he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS