Two soldiers, four civilians hurt in blast in Sulu

By Ronron
March 2, 2008

Two soldiers and four civilians were hurt in an explosion Saturday night at a videoke house in Sulu province, police and military officials said Sunday.

Army Maj. Roel Ebreo, spokesman of the military’s anti-terror Joint Task Force Comet based in Jolo town of said province, said the incident happened at around 9:30 pm at a videoke house in Sitio Tabak, Barangay Busbus of said town.

Initial investigation by police scene of the crime operatives and military bomb experts believe the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) charged with an 81 mm mortar shell based on the shrapnel recovered from the blast site, said Sulu Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Julasirim Kasim.

Regional police director Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao said this is a signature of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG).

In a phone interview, Kasim said the IED was seen left by three men 30 minutes before it blew off right inside the videoke house that is owned by retired Marine Sergeant Felix Cordizal. A follow up operation is now conducted against the three.

“We are still conducting discreet investigation to apprehend the unidentified perpetrators… Our intelligent community is continuously conducting monitoring,” he told Manila Shimbun.

Kasim said the injured victims include two elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and four employees of the videoke house.

Ebreo said the two soldiers were identified as Privates First Class Mark Anthony Taborno, 26, and Jun Cani, 28, both from the Intelligence Security Group (ISG) of the Philippine Army. They were reportedly drinking and singing inside the videoke house at that time.

The civilians, on the other hand, include three females who are believed to be guest relations officer of the videoke house, and a gay employee, said Kasim. They are aged 24 and 25.

Kasim said they suffered shrapnel wounds and were initially brought to the Trauma Hospital inside the 3rd Marine Brigade camp in said town for medical treatment. Hours later, they were transferred to a public hospital in the same town.

Kasim said they are still investigating the motive for the attack, which includes possible retaliation against Cordizal over business matters and terrorism.

“There is an information that the other night (on Friday), there was an alteration at the said videoke house so we are following that up,” Kasim said.

Asked if this could be an act by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), which is present in the island province, he said: “We can’t say yet if it’s by ASG. That is part of our in-depth investigation.”

Kasim said the investigation is being conducted jointly by the intelligence and investigation branch of the Sulu Provincial Office, and the Jolo Municipal Police Office./DMS