3 dead as blasts rock Iligan City a day before Arroyo visit

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Three people were killed and 47 others were wounded Thursday afternoon in two separate explosions that rocked two major shopping centers in Iligan City.

The explosions occurred a day before President Arroyo’s scheduled visit to Iligan City to attend the inauguration of Suka Pinakurat Processing Plant belonging to Green Gold Gourmet food products in Pugaan village.

This was the second time this month that attackers targeted an area that the President was scheduled to visit. Last December 12, Arroyo canceled a trip to Shariff Kabunsuan in Maguindanao after an improvised explosive device went off near a public market on the day before her scheduled visit.

Arroyo has condemned Thursday's twin bombings and ordered law enforcers to conduct "relentless" operations against the perpetrators, a Malacañang spokesman said Thursday.

“The President condemns the ruthless and violent acts of terrorism against our communities. The Philippine National Police and the Armed Fores will be relentless in their pursuit against the perpetrators," said presidential deputy spokesperson Anthony Golez.

"The government will not stop hunting these terrorists until they are put behind bars and we urge our people to coordinate with our law enforcers as to any information that might lead to the arrest of those responsible," Golez added.

Iligan City is Arroyo's maternal hometown.

Fatalities

The military said at least six people were hurt, but the local Red Cross said as many as 38 people were injured in the blasts that sent Christmas shoppers out in the streets.

An L-300 van was also destroyed in the attack, reports said.

Army Lt. Steffani Cacho, spokesperson of the military's Western Mindanao Command, said the first bomb exploded at 1:25 p.m. inside the Unicity Commercial Center. The next explosion occurred 20 minutes later at the Jerry Supermart.

"The improvised explosives were left at the baggage counters of both Unicity and Jerry's Supermart," Cacho told reporters.

Police Officer 3 Abdullah Sumayan of the Iligan City police identified the fatalities as Erwin Suico, 20, from Pugaan village; Jonas Badelles, 22, from Poblacion village; and Jalilah Mangondato, a 22-year-old nursing student from Marawi City.

In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, Sumayan said Mangondato has already been claimed by her family, while Badelles and Suico are still at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes.

The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) office in Manila said 21 people were hurt. It said seven victims were rushed by PNRC-Iligan Chapter volunteers to Dr Uy Hospital while five others at the Sanitarium Hospital and another one at the E & R Hospital.

Col. Benito de Leon, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, has sent bomb-sniffing dogs and explosives experts to help police in the investigations.

"We have sent K9 units and bomb experts in the area to help in the investigations," he said.

Malacañang has expressed condolences to the families of those who were killed in the blast.

"We condole with the families of those killed in this tragedy and the different government agencies will support those who have survived," Golez said.

Suspects

No group or individuals have claimed responsibility for the bombings, but previous attacks in the city had been blamed on Moro rebels and local militants trained by Jemaah Islamiyah.

A military official in the region said that the attacks might have been the handiwork of lawless elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), noting that the components used in the explosives included mortar rounds – a known signature of the MILF.

“Our suspect here are the lawless MILF group because of the type of the (improvised explosive device) that were used. That IED manifest their signature, using mortar rounds. That is our initial findings," said Col. Nicanor Dolojan, commander of the Army’s 403rd Brigade.

Last month, at least three people were also wounded in the bombings of two budget hotels - the Traveler's Inn and the Caprice Lodge – in Iligan City.

Asked on the possible motive behind Thursday's attacks, Dolojan said: “Terrorism, which is their real intention, to sow terror in the area."

Dolojan said a close-circuit TV installed at the Unicity Mall was able to record two men, both wearing scarf, depositing a item at the mall’s baggage counter. The official said pictures of the suspects have been culled from the video.

Dolojan said the video showed one of the men going out of the mall, apparently to deposit another item at the Jerry’s bargain center. “After depositing the items, after how many minutes, the bombs went off," he said. - GMANews.TV