ZAMBOANGA (Updated) -- Four people were killed and 11 others were wounded, while a city vice mayor escaped unscathed, in a roadside bombing Thursday in Basilan province, the police said Thursday.
Superintendent Albert Larubis, Isabela City police chief, said the blast happened at 1:10 p.m. Thursday in the village of Sunrise, Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province.
The bomb exploded just outside the main gate of the compound of Mayor Cherrylyn Santos-Akbar.
Police investigation showed the bomb exploded when the two-vehicle convoy of Vice Mayor Abdulbaki Ajibon passed by the area.
The blast killed two of Ajibon’s staffs who were aboard in one of the two vehicles in the convoy. The pick-up type vehicle was destroyed.
Larubis identified the fatalities as Muhaimin Jali and a certain Maulla, both staffs of Ajibon; Gregorio Heneral Delgado, a City Government employee; and, Ramil Omar, the former village chief of Balatanay, Isabela City.
Omar died before reaching a hospital.
Larubis identified the wounded victims as Abdullah Alìh Ismael, former village chief of San Rafael, Isabela City; Sattar Swaib Abdul and Tupay Kalbi, Ajibun’s security escorts; Nurhaida Dela Cruz; Hadji Amlon Adam; Sali Appan Utal, 74; Timhar Mohammad; Gammar Tiplani, 57; Sonny Tanjali, 50; Grace Torres; and, Florante Agustin.
He said most of the victims were with Ajibon in a convoy while some are passersby and residents living near the blast site.
He said the bomb could have been placed in a tricycle parked along the roadside.
The bomb blast has shattered glasses of windows of the nearby houses, including that of Akbar. [Read the related story here.]
Larubis said investigation continues to unmask the culprits.
Thursday’s bombing incident was the second on the convoy of Ajibun at the same place.
The first was on May 31, 2012, when Ajibun and a Philippine Red Cross staff were slightly wounded.
Ajibun and the PRC staff were aboard on separate vehicle traveling on opposite directions when the bomb, placed at a parked motorcycle, exploded. (Sunnex)