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Wednesday, March 05, 2003
US president condemns deadly RP bombing
MANILA -- US President George W. Bush condemns the deadly bombing in the Philippines and will work "shoulder to shoulder" with the Philippine government to hunt down its authors, the White House said Tuesday.
A report from Davao City said the man responsible for Tuesday's bomb attack at the Davao International Airport (DIA) that killed 19 persons and injured 144 others could have disembarked from the Ecoland Overland Terminal an hour before the explosion.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters "the president condemns the bombing in the Philippines this morning," after the powerful bomb attack at the busiest airport in rebellion-torn Mindanao.
"The United States will work shoulder to shoulder with the Philippine government to make certain that those responsible are brought to justice," said Fleischer.
Asked whether Washington knew who was behind the attack, Fleischer replied: "We do not yet have any reliable indications of who is behind it. It has all the earmarks of terrorism."
"We are working closely with the Philippine government who has fought valiantly in the war on terror. Our immediate concern is to provide assistance to the injured," he added.
Unconfirmed reports coming from Davao, meanwhile, said the blast suspect disembarked from a bus coming from outside Davao City at around 3:45 p.m.
A man, about 5'5 feet tall, wearing maong pants, striped polo shirt and carrying a black backpack reportedly asked his fellow passenger "nakadungog ka na ba sa buto sa bomba (have you ever heard a bomb blast)."
"Kung wala pa, sige unya paminawa kay dunay mubuto na bomba (If you haven't, just listen because a bomb will explode later)," the suspect reportedly added shortly before disembarking from the bus.
But Chief Insp. Vicente Danao of the Talomo Police in Davao City did not confirm the report.
He denied receiving any bomb threat or that they have arrested a suspicious-looking man.
He said they were merely implementing preventive measures when they tightened security in and around the Ecoland terminal shortly after the bomb explosion at the airport.
Danao ordered the closure of Ecoland Terminal's five gates, leaving one gate open for exit and another one for the entry of vehicles.
Police also coordinated with bus companies to prohibit passengers and baggage from getting into the bus without being inspected.
Bomb-sniffing dogs and several policemen were also deployed in and around the terminal shortly after the explosion at the airport. Sun.Star Davao/AFP
(March 5, 2003 issue)
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US nat'l among 19 killed in Davao blast; mayor vows more arrests