Zamboanga radio station bombed, 1 person injured

ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / April 6, 2010) – One person was wounded in an explosion in front of a radio station in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga Sibugay, police and military reports said Tuesday.

It was unknown whether the explosion came from a hand grenade or homemade bomb, but the attack late Monday on the radio station in the town of Titay was believed to be politically-motivated. Its owner, George Hofer, is the incumbent governor of Sibugay province.

Hofer, who is on his third and last term, is running for mayor in the town of Ipil, while his daughter, Dulce Ann Hofer, the congresswoman of Zamboanga Sibugay, is running for governor in the province. His son Jet Hofer is also running for a congressional seat.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, but reports said two men on a motorcycle were spotted near the radio station before the blast. The facility is just several meters away from Hofer’s house.

A local newspaper, Sibugay Express, quoted the radio station manager Kim Porras as saying the attack could be retaliation for the political commentaries of freelance broadcasters. Porras, himself, is also receiving subtle threats though text messages warning him to take it slowly, it said.

The explosion occurred minutes after Porras’ radio program ended, but it was unknown whether he was the target of the attack or the Hofers, who held a grip in the province’s political power for many years now. (Mindanao Examiner)