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Police investigators examine the site where a powerful explosion occured outside the Zamboanga city airport in Zamboanga, southern Philippines, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 killing two persons and wounding about a dozen others, including Governor Sakur Tan of Sulu province.
Aug 6, 2010
By FRANCO G. REGALA and JO ERLINDA G. NEBRES
Special to Fil-Am Megascene
US envoy cancels visit to the city,condemns bombing
ZAMBOANGA CITY
(PinoyNews) – Two persons, including a suspected bomber, were killed while 15 others, including Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan, were wounded in an explosion outside the arrival area of the Zamboanga City International Airport Thursday night.
As of 9:30 pm Thursday, military sources confirmed that 2 people are dead and 22 others were wounded due to the blast. US Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr., who was scheduled to visit the city Friday, condemned the bombing. Thomas postponed his trip to the city to some other date.“I deplore this heinous crime that victimized ordinary travelers.
Our condolences to the innocent deceased and wounded victims of this brutal attack. We would like to extend our admiration to local authorities and the Philippine National Police (PNP) who moved swiftly to aid persons wounded by the blast,” Thomas said. “The United States stands ready to offer any assistance requested by Philippine authorities so that those responsible may swiftly be brought to justice,” he added.
The bomb exploded at around 6:20 p.m., minutes after a Philippine Airlines flight from Manila arrived at the airport. Tan and the other victims were passengers of the aircraft. Early report stated that only the suicide bomber was killed in the incident. Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said the lone fatality was almost obliterated, leaving only his upper torso and head parts intact after the powerful explosion. Lobregat said they could not yet determinethe identity of the man until the police authorities have completed a thorough investigation. He also confirmed that Tan was wounded after he talked with the Sulu governor. Lobregat convened the City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) and tasked both police and military authorities to conduct a thorough probe on a bomb blast. “He (Tan) had a slight wound on the rib,” Lobregat said.
Col. Santiago Baluyot, Task Force Zamboanga commander, said they had not received any bomb threat but they have beefed up security following the airport attack. The Sulu governor claimed he was the target of the bombing. Tan said he was standing near his car just outside the arrival area when he saw an unidentified man approaching him and his companions. At past 6 p.m., a very loud explosion occurred and thick black smoke billowed from the area where the man was last seen. It was the second attempt on his life, Tan pointed out. On May 13 last year, he survived a road side bombing attack in downtown Jolo but 10 of his followers and armed escorts were hurt.
Tan said he was convinced the bomb attack in Zamboanga was the handiwork of his political foes without mentioning names. Lobregat said three of the wounded were rushed to various hospitals in Zamboanga City. Tan said he sustained minor injuries and decided not to proceed to the hospital. “Thanks God I only sustained minor injuries, I hope nobody is serious among the wounded civilians,” Tan said. The airport perimeter has been cordoned off by police authorities as Army bomb experts conduct scene of the crime investigation. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Lobregat said the entire city has been placed on heightened alert following the incident. “The United States stands with the Filipino people, who work everyday to enhance their peace and security,” Thomas said in a statement sent through US Embassy Deputy Press Attaché Wossie Mazengia.
“Knowing that the PNP is working hard to investigate this tragic incident, and understanding that my visit would require a great deal of security support, I have decided to postpone my travel tomorrow in order to avoid distracting the PNP from their most urgent task – investigating this heinous attack,” he said. “The issues I planned to address including our joint effort to prevent trafficking in persons and our collaboration in the fight against tuberculosis remain priorities on our shared agenda. I look forward to traveling to Zamboanga soon, to reiterate our support on these vital issues and, I hope, to congratulate the authorities on a successful investigation of this awful crime,” Thomas added.
Earlier, the US Embassy announced that Thomas will be accompanied by Gloria Steele, Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to visit on Friday various US projects in Zamboanga City.
Among the itinerary of Thomas is a visit at a Halfway House that is jointly run by the Visayan Forum Foundation (VFF) and the Philippine Ports Authority. There, Thomas is supposed to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among members of the Zamboanga City Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force to implement established procedures in combating trafficking in persons.
Thomas is also supposed to participate in the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on tuberculosis treatment between private sector partners and the city government of Zamboanga. One of the victims wounded in the bombing at the Zamboanga International Airport is a British national. This was disclosed by City Health Officer Dr. Rodel Agbulos, who had been checking in all of the hospitals to ascertain the number of the victims as well as to render financial assistance.
The British national is identified as Charles Nackerchar, 69, who is staying in Barangay Boalan, eight kilometers east of this city. Agbulos said Nackerchar’s condition is now stable after the latter has undergone surgery at Ciudad Medical de Zamboanga, one of the private hospitals in this city. Nacherchar is married to a Zamboangueña. Nackerchar was among the passengers who were coming out of the airport terminal’s arrival area after they disembarked from a commercial plane that arrived from Manila.