DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo “Rigo” Duterte II urged Dabawenyos and the safety and security sector to remain vigilant and united during the 23rd Commemoration of the 2003 Sasa Old Airport bombing.
Rigo, who represented Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, said Dabawenyos should serve as the eyes and ears of the city to help maintain everyone’s safety. He added the public should remember the victims of the 2003 old airport bomb attack and honor their memory by maintaining peace and order in the city.
“Together, let us remember the lives that were lost here 23 years ago and honor their memory by remaining united in purpose and firm in our commitment to maintain peace and order in the city,” he said on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Old Sasa Airport in Barangay Sasa.
As the city prepares for the celebration of Araw ng Dabaw, Duterte said the theme, “Dabawenyo Ko: Nilambo. Nagkahiusa,” should serve as a reminder for everyone to work together, do their part, remain vigilant and mindful, and always practice a culture of security.
Mayor Baste was unable to attend the commemoration as he is visiting his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in The Hague, Netherlands.
During the event, city officials paid tribute to the victims and joined the victims’ family members in offering candles. The solemn ceremony is the LGU’s way of honoring the victims of the attack that occurred in the city more than two decades ago.
To recall, at 5:20 p.m. on March 4, 2003, a bomb hidden in a backpack exploded in the crowded waiting area of the old Davao City airport, in Brgy. Sasa. The blast claimed the lives of nearly two dozen people, injured more than 100 others, and caused significant damage to the building.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamic secessionist militant group advocating for autonomy for the Moro people, was suspected of carrying out the attack, along with other similar incidents. However, the MILF denied any involvement in the bombing. RGP