Mindanao bus stations guarded vs bombers

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Security around bus terminals and along national highways in Mindanao has been tightened following two bombings that left at least 35 people dead and a third attempted attack.

As Philippine Coast Guard divers pressed on with their search yesterday for four people still missing and presumed dead, Army First Division commander Brig. Gen. Narciso Abaya said bomb experts were inspecting all provincial and municipal buses plying routes in the South to prevent further attacks.

He said military and police checkpoints had been set up along major highways.

Explosives rigged in two buses traveling aboard the ferry M/V Our Lady of Mediatrix exploded Friday shortly before the boat was to dock at the port of Ozamis.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which the military was quick to blame on the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), one of whose training camps was overrun last week by government troops. The MILF, however, denied the accusation.

Thirty-five bodies were recovered from the heavily damaged ferry or from the sea and 17 people were still missing as of yesterday.

Yesterday's count was a downward revision in the death toll.

Ozamis City administrator Lucy Cabalit explained that in the confusion following the blasts, some officials had double counted the casualties, with the Coast Guard reporting as many as 45.

Ninety-one of the 140 passengers and crew survived, but 28 were in hospital, many with serious burn and shrapnel injuries.

"As of now, our search and recovery operations are continuing. None of the missing has yet been recovered by our divers," Coast Guard petty officer Clemente Codilla said.

Abaya said military medical personnel had been dispatched to Ozamis to assist doctors. He said many of those injured remained in critical condition.

"Military medical corps have been working around the clock to assist the victims and doctors," Abaya said. "Security personnel are closely watching all suspected groups to get those responsible in this senseless attack on innocent people."

No motive for the attack has been established but the military earlier said it could be harassment by Muslim guerrillas to scare bus firms into paying extortion money.

"We have already a list of groups whom we suspect as responsible in the spate of bombings. However, we cannot divulge this as surveillance continues," Abaya said. "The incident was not just plain extortion, but pure terrorism to scare the people."

Military and police bomb experts have yet to determine the kind of explosives used in the Ozamis blast.

"The bomb was different from the other bombs used in previous attacks. The terrorists mixed in a highly flammable component," a military bomb expert said.

At about the time of the ferry attack, police said a bomb exploded in another bus, injuring 10 passengers.

The bus from the Five Star company bound for Dipolog City was traveling near the town of Rizal also in Mindanao when the blast ripped through the rear portion of the vehicle.

Police identified the injured passengers as Norberto Bigcas, his wife Maricel, Joel Yap, Alberto Pasco, Ervin Panugalig, Mario Dampog, Anacris Adela, Helen Pangasian, Ruben Anserno and Junrie Anserno.

Bomb experts foiled another attempted attack later on the same day aboard a bus traveling the same route as those blown apart on the ferry.

The attacks came on the eve of a visit to the island by President Estrada.

Meanwhile, Rep. Roan Libarios (LAMP, Agusan del Norte) called on the Philippine National Police to spare no effort in bringing to justice those responsible for the blasts.

"Whether they were rebels or plain extortionists what they did was a cowardly act. They treacherously attacked civilians," Libarios said. -