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Philippines
Cotabato cathedral bombing costs five lives
Article published on the 2009-07-05 Latest update 2009-07-05 12:49 TU
Soldiers wounded in the blast in a hospital in Cotabato city
(Photo: Reuters)
Five people have been killed and at least 34 wounded in the bombing of the cathedral in Cotabato city in the southern Philippines. Officials blame the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but the group has denied that it is responsible.
The bomb exploded just as the congregation was leaving the Immaculate Conception cathedral after early morning mass.
Police say that four people, including two soldiers, were killed at the scene and that another died in hospital. Local priests say that many of the wounded were women and children.
The church was not heavily damaged and a restaurant opposite is reported to have absorbed much of the impact of the bomb.
Police say that a suspected bomber was arrested as he tried to bring another device into the church but say that no-one has yet claimed responsibility.
Regional military spokesperson Jonathan Ponce blamed the MILF, which is fighting for an Islamic homeland in the mainly-Muslim south. He said an MILF bomb wounded three people in the nearby town of Datu Piang late Saturday. The military claims to have received a tip-off that the group was planning a bombing campaign in the south.
But MILF representative Eid Kabalu denied responsibility, saying that bombing civilians is against Muslim principles. He said that right-wingers opposed to a long-awaited peace deal in the region might be responsible.
Meanwhile, Maoist guerrillas of the Communist Party of the Philippines claimed Sunday that impostors are extorting money in their name of their military wing the New People's Army (NPA).
The NPA regularly collects so-called "revolutionary taxes" to fund their movement.
But the group's leadership now says that the military and police have teamed up with criminals to "engage in extortion activities" from small businesses and employees while pretending to be the NPA.
The party claims that the perpetrators intend to "tarnish the NPA's reputation and isolate it, and at the same time pocket the monies themselves."
There has been no immediate reaction from the government.
