At least 3 dead in blast outside house of Isabela City mayor

ZAMBOANGA CITY—At least three people were killed while up to 17 others—including a 7-year-old boy—were injured in separate powerful explosions in Isabela City in Basilan and in Polomolok, South Cotabato, on Thursday.

The Isabela City explosion appears to be political in nature while the Polomolok blast—which hit a bus—is most likely the work of extortionists, according to authorities.

Supt. Albert Larubis, the Isabela City police director, said the explosion took place outside the house of Isabela City Mayor Cherrylyn Akbar in Barangay Sunrise past noon.

“Initially two persons are reportedly killed,” Larubis said, adding that the police were still securing the area.

It was not clear if Akbar was in the house at the time of the explosion.

Navy Commander Roy Vincent Trinidad, chief of staff of the Naval Forces in Western Mindanao, said the explosion transpired around 1:01 p.m. and was caused by an improvised explosive device.

He said the blast caught the Toyota Hilux pickup truck owned by Isabela City Vice Mayor Abdubaki Ajibon who lived across from Akbar’s house.

Trinidad said at least three security escorts of Ajibon were killed in the explosion while five other persons, who were on another vehicle, were injured.

Bomb experts were still conducting post-blast investigation, he said.

While the attack appeared to be political in nature, it was not clear who was the target among the two officials, the police said.

On Feb. 15, 2013, a suspected IED also went off outside Akbar’s house, just 30 minutes after police authorities disrupted another explosive near it. The blast created a two-feet wide crater but did not harm anyone. Akbar was not in her house when the 2013 blast took place.

On May 31, 2012, a similar explosion also occurred outside Akbar’s residence. The bomb explosion also hit a vehicle owned by the vice mayor but no one was harmed.

In Polomolok, South Cotabato, 12 people were injured when an IED went off aboard a unit of Yellow Bus Line.

Senior Supt. Jose Briones, South Cotabato police director, said the bus, with license plates MWD-296, had just left the Polomolok bus terminal for General Santos City when the explosion took place.

Briones said initial result of post blast investigation showed that the bomb went off at the middle portion of the bus, which came from Koronadal City.

Rushed to the St. Elizabeth Hospital in General Santos City were Jerwin Cabuyao, his wife Abigail, and their 7-day old baby Akisha Gale Cabuyao, all residents of Apopong in General Santos.

At least nine others were brought to the city’s General Santos Doctors Hospital.

Briones said they were looking at extortion as the possible motive of the attack. Julie Alipala, Edwin Fernandez/RAM/RC