ZAMBOANGA CITY (Zamboanga Journal / 22 Feb) A bomb scare Wednesday swept Zamboanga City and Jolo island in the southern Philippines and disrupted classes in at least two schools and officials said a teenager carrying explosives and a jungle knife was held by the police.
Classes at the Zamboanga's Don Pablo Lorenzo School was briefly disrupted after a teenager carrying blasting caps and a jungle knife climbed the school wall from the outside and hid inside the compound.
"He was later arrested by security guards and handed over to the police. The boy, around 14 or 15, was caught with blasting caps and a jungle knife," the school's principal Norma Macrohon said.
The arrest of the boy, a native of Jolo island, coincided with radio reports that a suicide bomber would strike in Zamboanga City. Text messages about an impending suicide attack were circulating in Zamboanga City ahead of its 69th celebration of the Dia de Zamboanga on Sunday.
Classes at the Zamboanga's Don Pablo Lorenzo School was briefly disrupted after a teenager carrying blasting caps and a jungle knife climbed the school wall from the outside and hid inside the compound.
"He was later arrested by security guards and handed over to the police. The boy, around 14 or 15, was caught with blasting caps and a jungle knife," the school's principal Norma Macrohon said.
The arrest of the boy, a native of Jolo island, coincided with radio reports that a suicide bomber would strike in Zamboanga City. Text messages about an impending suicide attack were circulating in Zamboanga City ahead of its 69th celebration of the Dia de Zamboanga on Sunday.
The Charter Day festival is marked with street dancing and parades, cultural offerings, exhibits, and regattas as well as Christian religious ceremonies.
Classes were also suspended Wednesday at the Jolo National High School on Jolo island where Filipino and US troops are conducting joint military drill, police said.
Police said text messages warning of a bomb attack in the school and other targets were spreading in Jolo. The bomb scare forced the school to suspend its classes. Police said it found no explosives in the school.
A suspected Abu Sayyaf bomb explosion late Saturday ripped through a roadside karaoke bar outside a military base in Jolo, killing 2 civilians and wounding 28 others.
Early this year, two Abu Sayyaf bombs exploded simultaneously in downtown Zamboanga, killing and wounding dozens of people.
Early this year, two Abu Sayyaf bombs exploded simultaneously in downtown Zamboanga, killing and wounding dozens of people.
Just this month, Philippine and US military forces distributed an updated list of wanted Abu Sayyaf posters in Zamboanga City and Jolo island and gave away more than 5,000 bottles of mineral water labeled with photographs and bounty information of terrorist leaders. The US included the group on its list of foreign terrorist organizations.
Washington offered as much as $5 million bounty for known Abu Sayyaf leaders, including Khadaffy Janjalani. President Gloria Arroyo also put up P100 million rewards for the capture of the group's leaders and their members dead or alive.
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