Zamboanga Town Hall Bombed

IPIL, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 05, 2007) – A crude bomb planted on a municipal building in southern Philippines exploded, but the military on Monday said there have been no reports of deaths.

Officials said the blast caused little damage to the façade of the building in the town of Talusan in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

The explosion late Sunday destroyed the door of the building housing the Association of Village Chairmen, said Army Maj. Eugene Batara, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command.

“We are still investigating the motive of the attack and who was behind it,” Batara told the Mindanao Examiner.

Army Colonel Joven Magalso, commander of 102nd Infantry Brigade in the province, said they have deployed soldiers in the area to help police forces patrol the town.

“The blast could be related to last month’s village polls. We are coordinating with the police to track down the perpetrator,” he said in a separate interview.

Police said dozens of people were killed and wounded in poll-related violence in the Philippines. Elections in the country are traditionally bloody. (Joseph Danda)