Aquino: No letup in hunt for Iligan City bombers

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday said law enforcers would not let up in going after those behind the bombing in Iligan City last Saturday that left at least two people dead and 30 others, including four minors, wounded.

Aquino told reporters on Corregidor Island, where he attended the 70th memorial commemoration of the Fall of Corregidor yesterday, that authorities were looking into two possible motives, which he did not disclose.

He said he expects the Philippine National Police to continue looking deeper into the blast, so the perpetrators could immediately be put behind bars.  

The military is not discounting the possibility that terrorists may be behind the explosion, Capt. Albert Caber, spokesman of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said yesterday.

Caber said they were working closely with the police and were continuously monitoring the situation in the area.

“This could be a handiwork of terrorists in the area,” Caber told radio station dzBB in Filipino yesterday.

Caber noted that civilians are usually the targets of terrorists but he did not provide details about the possible perpetrators of the blast.

“We are securing all areas,” he said.

Col. Daniel Lucero, chief of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade, though said they were looking at petty criminals as the possible perpetrators.

“We will not create undue alarm to the public. We don’t want to speculate, we will see to it that the people will be able to go back to their usual routine,” Lucero said.

“We will be putting much effort (to bring) these criminals to justice,” he added.

Military reports said the explosion, said to be from a grenade, occurred at the intersection of Roxas and Quezon avenues in front of El Centro Bar and Medical Store in Iligan City at around 8 p.m. Saturday.

The fatalities were identified as Junel Dumalagan, 21, who died before receiving medical treatment, and Jay Hangad, 21, who died about two hours after the incident. – With Alexis Romero, Lino de la Cruz, Ben Serrano, Roel Pareño