At least four people were killed and 50 injured after a bomb exploded during a morning Catholic mass at a university gymnasium in Marawi - a city in the south of the country.
"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists," said Mr Marcos.
"Extremists who wield violence against the innocent will always be regarded as enemies to our society." Law enforcement operations to bring to justice the perpetrators will "continue unabated", Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told a press conference.
There were "strong indications of a foreign element" in the bombing, he said, refusing to elaborate so as not to compromise ongoing investigations.
Fragments of a 16mm mortar were recovered at the scene at Mindanao State University, senior police official Emmanuel Peralta told the press conference.
The blast in Marawi, capital of Lanao del Sur province, followed a series of military operations against local pro-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) groups in the southern Philippines, the military chief said.
This included one on Dec 3 in Lanao del Sur that led to the killing of a leader of the Maute group.
"It is possible that what happened this morning was a retaliatory attack," armed forces chief Romeo Brawner told the press conference.
Esta historia es de la edición December 04, 2023 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 04, 2023 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Dutch chef Sergio Herman opens Le Pristine in Singapore
If the zing of kaffir lime in the mussel antipasti, or the chilli king crab on the pizzette, or the soursop in the gambero rosso seem somewhat familiar, that would be Dutch chef Sergio Herman putting a little bit of Singapore into his food.
SINNER'S 'SPECIAL' YEAR-END TOP SPOT
First Italian to finish the year as No. 1 will clinch 7th title of 2024 if he beats Djokovic
Kiwis get down to business quickly
BARCELONA - New Zealand beat Britain in the opening America's Cup races on Oct 12, with the holders setting the pace in the early skirmishes with the challengers in the first-to-seven contest.
"'SPORTSWASHING' CRY AS NBA PLAYS IN UAE"
But commissioner Silver disagrees that its presence in a key market helps hide abuses
SailGP matures with new tech, stiff rivalry
NEW YORK - As SailGP approaches its fifth season of racing, this professional sailing league is finally flying on its own two foils.
WALLER-LANE IN GUINEAS UPSET
Private Life steals the show after inch-perfect front-running ride in Caulfield 3YO feature
Fintech exec began developing her investing acumen as a teen
Her initial better-safe-than-sorry approach has given way to a higher risk appetite now
Betting apps are more toxic than you think
Betting companies all publicly espouse their commitment to responsible gaming. They help fund programmes to combat addiction and give customers the option to exclude themselves from betting or to enrol in \"cool-off\" periods that keep them from logging in for a day or two.
Revival in demand for private resale homes
Volume of transactions in Jan-Aug up 11% from same period a year ago, data shows
How to plan for retirement when you are on your own
For Ms Sara Zeff Geber, the \"aha moment\" came a few years ago as she listened to a friend recount all the tasks she was taking on to help her increasingly frail 91-year-old mother.