-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DIGOS CITY – A bomb believed set off by a group with terror links ripped through a bus parked in a terminal here, wounding 35 people.
Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas pointed an accusing finger at the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
But police and military authorities said they were more inclined to believe that the attack was the work of the al-Khobar extortion group, which has been linked to similar attacks in Central Mindanao.
Chief Insp. Anthony Padua, city police chief, said the Metro Shuttle bus with body No. 176, which came from Bansalan, Davao del Sur, was waiting for passengers at the terminal when the explosion occurred around 11:50 a.m.
Most of those injured were passengers and vendors, he said.
Twenty-three of the victims were rushed to the Davao del Sur provincial hospital while four other passengers, including P01 Andres Alfonso of Padada town, were brought to Davao City due to serious injuries.
The rest of the victims were being treated at private hospitals.
Marian Apurado, 32, the bus conductor, who was also wounded, said she was seated near the driver when the explosion occurred about four minutes after they arrived at the terminal.
She said the blast tore the left portion of the bus, seven seats from where she sat.
“I was combing my hair when it occurred,” she said.
Chief Supt. Andres Caro, Southern Mindanao police chief, described the bomb as powerful.
He said it was packed in a water PET bottle and was remotely detonated.
“It was an [improvised explosive device] placed in a mineral water PET bottle, which also contained nails. It was command-detonated,” he said.
Maj. Lyndon Paniza, commander of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, said Army bomb experts helping in the investigation recovered fragments of a cellular phone.
But he said authorities, including post-blast investigators, were still trying to determine what the bomb’s explosive material was.
Caro also said they were thankful because despite the design of the bomb, which was meant to kill or inflict major damage, no one was killed.
Maj. Armand Rico, spokesperson of the Eastern Mindanao Command, earlier said there were three fatalities in the bombing, but he turned out to be wrong.
Rico on Wednesday announced the recovery of a bomb-rigged motorcycle in Ampatuan, Maguindanao. The bomb, he said, was intended for Davao City but the driver abandoned it when the motorcycle had flat tires.
He said terrorists have been trying to attack Davao City and other major urban centers but couldn’t get past security measures.
Carlito Lim, Davao Metro Shuttle assistant operation manager here, said police were correct in saying extortion was the motive for the attack.
He said shortly after the blast, officials of the bus firm received a threatening call.
“Look at what happened. You are stubborn,” Lim quoted the unidentified caller as saying.
Mayor Rey Uy of Tagum City in Davao del Norte, whose family owns the Metro Shuttle company, confirmed the al-Khobar gang has been pestering them.
“But we ignored them,” Uy said.
Source : Philippine Daily Inquirer. by: Orlando Dinoy and Eldie Aguirre with a report from Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao
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