Blast rocks Comelec office in Sulu ahead of special polls

By Ronron
December 9, 2007

A week before special elections for barangay and youth officials will be held in Sulu and elsewhere in Mindanao and Pasay City, an explosion rocked the Commission in Elections (Comelec) office there on Saturday night, police said Sunday.

Supt. Danilo Bacas, Police Regional Operations and Plans chief in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said in a phone interview that the blast happened at around 10:30 pm, although no casualty was reported.

“The improvised explosive device (IED) that went off was placed inside a trash can in front of the Comelec Office at the Capitol complex of Sulu in Jolo (town),” Bacas said in Filipino.

While there was no casualty reported, he said minor damages were sustained in the Comelec’s office since the blast ripped through the latter’s façade. He said the trash can was placed right in front of the Comelec office.

“There is an ongoing investigation now to determine the suspect and the type of bomb used. Meanwhile, the area was immediately secured by our policemen there and elements of the Task Force Comet of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Bacas said.

Bacas said they are looking into the angle that the blast is related to the scheduled special elections for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials on December 15 in 319 villages in Sulu, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Basilan, Cotabato, Shariff Kabunsuan, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur and Pasay City.

“It (explosion) could not have been intended for a particular person as target,” Bacas said.

The Comelec has set the holding of special elections after voting in the above-mentioned areas last October 29 did not push through due to various security reasons.

Starting Monday, a total gun ban in the 319 villages will take effect “to prevent the recurrence of violent incidents” in said areas. The gun ban will last until December 20, the Comelec had earlier said in a resolution.

Exempted from the gun ban are members of the Philippine National Police, the AFP, and other law enforcement agencies deputized by the Comelec./DMS