Bomb blast near south Philippine cathedral kills 1

Associated Press ,  Manila   |  Sun, 07/05/2009 12:34 PM  |  World

Suspected Muslim guerrillas detonated a bomb near a Roman Catholic cathedral in the southern Philippines Sunday, killing at least one person and wounding more than two dozen others.

The bomb exploded outside the Immaculate Conception cathedral in Cotabato city as churchgoers walked out after attending Mass. One passer-by was killed instantly in the attack.

Cotabato city Mayor Muslimin Sema said up to 26 others were wounded, some of them seriously. The wounded included five soldiers who were passing by the cathedral in a van when the device exploded.

Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton immediately blamed the 11,500-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been targeted by a month-long military offensive in nearby Maguindanao province and outlying regions.

"Nobody has the motive, the capability and the track record to carry out this terrorist attack except the lawless MILF group," Cayton told The Associated Press by telephone.

There were no immediate reaction from the rebels, who have waged a decades-long battle for self-rule in the southern Mindanao region, homeland of minority-Muslims in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Malaysian-brokered peace talks between the government and the rebels collapsed last year when a preliminary deal on an expanded Muslim autonomous region fell apart, sparking new deadly clashes that have displaced large numbers of villagers.

Cotabato city has been hit by deadly bombings in the past.
Comments (1)  |   Post comment
A  |   A  |   A  |   Mail to a friend  |  Printer Friendly Version |  Digg it!  |  Add to Del.icio.us!  |  Add to Reddit!  |  Stumble it!   |  Share on facebook  

MARK DEYO (not verified) — Sun, 07/05/2009 - 1:47pm

DEAR SIR/MADAM:
AFTER READING EARLY THIS MORNING IN THE POST,
OF THE BOMBING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, BY SUPPOSED
MUSLIM GUERILLAS, I FAIL TO UNDERSTAND THE
MOTIVATION. WHAT HAS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DONE
TO THESE FANATICAL MEN, THAT THEY FELT THE NEED
TO BOMB IT/?? IS IS JEALOUSY, HATRED, OR JUST
PLAIN ILLITERACY???
I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THESE MEN DO NOT CONSIDER
THEMSELVES AS EITHER RELIGIOUS, OR FOLLOWING
THE WAY OF ALLAH?
WE IN THE WEST CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS GENERATED
SUCH HATRED TOWARDS PEOPLES IN THE WEST?
IT SEEMS ALL THE PROBLEMS START WITH THE MUSLIM
SIDE, NOT THE CHRISTIAN SIDE, UNLESS I MISS THE
POINT HERE SOMEPLACE.
THE 9/11 THING IN NY CITY WAS THE MAIN REASON THAT
THE WEST LOOKS DOWN NOW ON MUSLIMS, ALTHOUGH NOT
ALL MUSLIMS ARE TERRORISTS...NO. BUT THE FANATICS
ARE DEFINATELY OUT THERE, HIDING BEHIND THEIR OWN
RELIGION, AND MAKING IT HARD FOR OTHER MUSLIMS LIVING
IN SAY, CANADA, THE USA, AND EUROPE. PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING AT EVEN GOOD MUSLIMS HERE IN CANADA, SUSPICIOUSLY
NOT KNOWING WHEN AND IF A BOMB WILL GO OFF KILLING
THEM ALSO??? IT IS LUDICROUS WHEN U LOOK AT IT SENSIBLY.
WHAT DO THEY HOPE TO GAIN??? THE TERRORISTS CANNOT
WIN, WITH THE SUPERIORITY THAT THE WESTERN RICH
COUNTRIES HAVE BEHIND THEM, INCLUDING IF NEED BE,
NUCLEAR CAPABILITY.
WHY CANNOT THIS WORLD GET ALONG?? THAT IS THE LARGER
QUESTION. WE ARE ALL GOD'S (ALLAH'S( CHILDREN,
WE ALL LIVE AND DIE...THE SAME, SO WHY THE ANIMOSITY,
HATRED AND DIVISION??? IT IS SO USELESS AND
UNNECESSARY.
WE HERE IN CANADA HAVE NEVER REACHED OUT TO KILL
AND MAIM PEOPLE. WE ARE ENVIED FOR BEING HERE,
MULTICULTURAL, AND FAIR TO ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS
OF RACE, COLOUR OR CREED.
LET US HOPE THAT THIS WORLD WILL STAY TOGETHER AND
NOT BE FORCED TO BLOW ITSELF APART AT SOME TIME STAGE.
DARE WE HOPE????
SINCERELY,
MARK DEYO.

What's On

more
more
more