Bomb Explodes In Sarangani Market In Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao / September 14, 2008) – A homemade bombed exploded Sunday at a market area in the southern Philippine province of Sarangani, reports said.

There were no casualties in the blast that occurred before dawn in Kiamba town and no group claimed responsibility for the attack, but the military was quick to blame the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.

The explosion occurred as troops were pursuing MILF rebels in the province. Fighting broke out in Sarangani’s Maasim town on Saturday that left one rebel dead.

Clashes between security and rebel forces have broke out in many parts of Mindanao after the aborted signing of the territorial deal that would have granted about four million Muslims their own homeland in over 700 villages in the restive region.

Manila also abolished its peace panel with the MILF after rebel forces last month attacked civilian targets in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani provinces and the hostilities spread to Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Shariff Kabunsuan provinces, all in central Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)

Court Orders Arrest Of Salapuddin Over Batasan Bombing - Manila Standard Today

Akbar's supporters during a rally in Basilan province in southern RP. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

A QUEZON CITY judge has ordered the arrest of former Basilan Rep. Gerry Salapuddin and three other people for the bombing at the Batasan Pambansa on Nov. 13 that killed five people, including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.

Judge Ralph Lee of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 83 ordered Salapuddin, Harajun Jamiri, Benjamin Hataman, and PO1 Bayan Judda arrested after they failed to attend yesterday’s arraignment on the case.

Prosecutors had added the four as suspects to the charge sheet, but they ignored the summonses sent to them.

The government is expected to issue a hold-departure order against all suspects in the case.

Two of the three suspects in the bombing, Caidar Aunal, Ikram Indama and Adham Kusain, refused to file a not-guilty plea, leading the court to do so for them.

Only Indama, who may turn state witness, filed a not-guilty plea.

Earlier, the lawyer for Aunal and Kusain asked the court to defer the arraignment pending the appearance of the four other suspects led by Salapuddin.

But Lee dismissed the motion saying the four could be arraigned on another day and time.

Defense lawyers protested yesterday’s arraignment, saying they had a pending petition for review before the Department of Justice.

The justice department issued a resolution on Feb. 29, so the defense still has 11 of the 15 days that state prosecutors gave them to comment on the charges.

The Batasan blast killed Akbar, Marcial Taldo, Jul-Asiri Hayundini, Maan Gale Bustalino, Dennis Manila and Vercia Garcia.

Wounded in the attack were Rep. Henry Teves, Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, Ismael Lim, Kimhar Indanan, Larry Noda and Paula Dunga. (Joel M. Sy Egco)

Cops, Troops Search For Bombers In South RP

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5 Wounded In New Bombing In Southern Philippines

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 08 Jun) – At least 5 people were injured when a homemade bomb exploded Friday in a commuter bus in the southern Philippines, officials said.

“At least five passengers are wounded in the blast. We are awaiting reports about the bombing,” Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the explosion occurred in the town of Matalam in North Cotabato province.” Troops were deployed in the town to help police secure the area.

It was not immediately known what type of bomb was used in the attack. But the bombing occurred just a week after the United States warned its citizens of possible terror attacks in the restive region, where security forces are battling the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants.

The U.S. told its citizens not to travel in the troubled region because of the terror threats.
Terrorists may be planning an attack on civilian areas, particularly in bus depot and market places, it said.

On Friday, the United States Embassy in Manila also issued a warden notice urging its citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance in the Philippines ahead of the Independence Day celebration.

“In light of the approaching Republic of the Philippines Independence Day on June 12, 2006, the Embassy strongly urges American citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”

“There is a possibility of demonstrations during the weekend. We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence,” it said.

The latest blast occurred even as Philippine authorities said it placed the southern region in heightened alert.

The region is home to local terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf and several rebel organizations, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the communist New People’s Army and smaller breakaway factions and bandits, blamed for ransom kidnappings of foreigners and wealthy Filipino traders.

Philippine soldiers on Monday already doubled its security in Maguindanao province following a foiled bombing of a packed commuter bus. Soldiers disarmed a homemade bomb planted in a bus late Sunday.

The bomb was discovered by the bus driver after he made a stop in the province to pick up passengers. The bomb was rigged to an electronic timer that would trigger detonation.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the foiled bombing, but the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya are actively operating in the province.

The United States Embassy said: “The Embassy has information that terrorists may be planning to carry out bombings at bus terminals and public market places.”

“U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution in central Mindanao. U. S. citizens living and working in central Mindanao are urged to reassess their personal security and to keep a low profile, and should avoid public gathering places,” it said.

Terror bombing in Mindanao last month killed at least 11 people and wounded more than 100 others and Filipino authorities blamed the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya in the latest bombings.

In 2004, the Abu Sayyaf bombed a ferry off the Manila Bay and killed more than 100 passengers. The U.S. blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf and the Jemaah Islamiya and added them to the list of foreign terrorist organizations and Washington offered as much as ten million dollars for the capture of their leaders. (With a report from Mark Navales)

Police Captured Suspected Bomber In Southern Philippines

Policemen escort suspected bomber, Taya Kulat, a local supporter of the Indonesian terror group, Jemaah Islamiya, in Sultan Kudarat province in southern Philippines. Filipino authorities blame the Jemaah Islamiya for the bomb attack Tuesday at a packed billiard hall in Tacurong City. Policemen are deployed in Tacurong Thursday, 10 May 2007. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service/Mark Navales)

SULTAN KUDARAT (Mindanao Examiner / 10 May) – Philippine police captured one of four alleged bomber tagged as behind the deadly attack in Tacurong City in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat, officials said Thursday.

Provincial police chief, Superintendent Teng Tocao said the suspect, Taya Kulat, was captured after a running gun battle at a village in Kalawag town.

“He is one of those involved in the attack and we are still tracking down the others,” Tocao told the regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

Police filed criminal charges against the man, said to be a local supporter of the Indonesian terror group, Jemaah Islamiya. “We are investigating his link to the terrorist group,” Tocao said, adding, the man was captured on Wednesday.

He said policemen seized hand guns from Kulat, who was tracked down with information provided by civilians.

The explosion on Tuesday at a packed billiard hall in Tacurong killed and injured about three dozen people, according to a regional army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Julieto Ando.

Army Major General Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, blamed the Jemaah Islamiya for the blast.

He said security forces were hunting down a senior Jemaah Islamiya bomber, Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, believed hiding in central Mindanao since 2003.

Zulkifli, a Malaysian citizen, also heads the Kumpulun Mujahidin Malaysia (KMM) terrorist organization, according to the U.S. Department of State.

Washington included Zulkifli to its most-wanted list and offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. He was believed to be involved in multiple deadly bomb attacks in the Philippines and is said to be working with the local terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf.

His younger brother, Taufik bin Abdul Halim, was also implicated in the 2001 Jakarta Atrium Mall bombing, and currently is in detention in Indonesia.

Aside from Zulkifli, Philippine authorities, aided by U.S. forces, are also tracking down two other Jemaah Islamiya bombers, Dulmatin and Umar Patek, on Jolo island in the Sulu Archipelago off Mindanao region. (Mark Navales and Juan Magtanggol)

Terror Attack Kills 10 In Southern Philippines

MAGUINDANAO (Mindanao Examiner / 08 May) – At least three dozen people were killed and wounded in bomb attack late Tuesday afternoon in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Officials said as many as ten people were killed and over two dozens more wounded in the blast at a packed billiard hall in Sultan Kudarat's Tacurong City.

“Initial reports said as many as ten people are killed in the bomb explosion,” a regional army spokesman, Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, told the independent regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

He said authorities were investigating the motive of the attack.

Maj. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said more soldiers were sent to secure the area.

“More than two dozens are injured in the explosion and according to our reports, the blast was from an improvised explosive device left at the billiard hall,” he said in a separate interview.

Ferrer said army explosive experts were sifting through debris to determine what type of bomb was used in the attack. Other reports suggested the bomb was assembled from a mortar rocket and probably rigged to an electronic timer.

No individual or group claimed responsibility for the blast, but suspicion fell heavily on the Indonesian terror group, Jemaah Islamiya.

“The Jemaah Islamiya could be behind the attack. It has the signature of the Jemaah Islamiya,” Ferrer said without further elaborating.

The attack occurred despite a tight police security in Tacurong City. Fresh military reports said terrorists may strike in the cities of Koronadal, General Santos, Kidapawan and Cotabato, all in the southern Philippines.

Just Sunday, soldiers detonated a homemade bomb near a police post in Tacurong after policemen discovered a package containing C4 explosive and steel pellets.

The latest attack came just a week after the United States, Canada and Australia warned their citizens against traveling to Mindanao island and the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines because of heightened terror activities.

Security forces are battling members of the al-Qaeda affiliate Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya militants and Moro National Liberation Front rebels.

A grenade attack last month in North Cotabato’s Pikit town injured three people working for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Another bomb attack in Midsayap town also in North Cotabato also injured one civilian. A man was also killed after a bomb he was transporting exploded in Cotabato City in Maguindanao province near North Cotabato.

Abu Sayyaf militants also beheaded six construction workers and a fisherman they kidnapped in Parang town in Jolo island on April 15 after their employer, Jolo governor Benjamin Loong rejected a ransom demand. (Juan Magtanggol)