Basilan blast: Mayor, soldier survive, but driver in critical condition

The province of Basilan is off the tip of Zamboanga Peninsula. (Image from Google Maps)

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A bomb explosion on Saturday afternoon injured Mayor Dorie Kalahal of Tuburan in Basilan shortly after getting off his car in Sitio Sawiti in Barangay Calut in his own town.

“I just incurred minor bruises. Split seconds. I just alighted from the vehicle, walked a few steps, then something went off underneath my car,” Tuburan, a former commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), said.

The mayor’s escort, Cpl. Christian Ibaretta of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion, was also slightly injured by shrapnel from could have been an improvised explosive device, according to Senior Supt. Nickson Muksan, chief othe the Basilan Provincial Police Office.

But his driver, Misuari Jamiri, wasn’t as lucky, as he was pronounced in critical condition.

In an interview, Kalahal said he, along with several soldiers, had gone earlier to Sawiti to do humanitarian work.

Shortly after leaving the area, they heard gunshots, prompting them to return.

Shortly after getting off his car, intending to talk to villagers, the explosion took place.

“The case is under investigation, no suspect yet and Mayor Kalahal’s service vehicle is also damaged,” Muksan said.

Kalahal said, however, that he suspected that Abu Sayyaf bandits under Abdullah Indanan Jobel were responsible for the incident.

“We are pursuing them now,” Kalahal said. /atm