Palace condemns ‘mindless terrorist attack’ in Iligan
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 12/18/2008 7:16 PM
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Malacañang on Thursday condemned the twin blasts in Iligan City which has resulted in the death of two persons and injuries to 30 others.
“We condemn this mindless terrorist attack on civilians in Iligan. We condole with the families whose loved ones have become hapless victims of these murderous acts,” said Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential spokesman.
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez meanwhile said President Arroyo has condemned “the ruthless and violent acts of terrorism against our communities.”
Golez said the government “will not stop hunting these terrorists until they are put behind bars and we urge our people to coordinate with our law enforcers as to any information that might lead to the arrest of those responsible.”
He said the police and the military would be relentless in pursuing the perpetrators of the bombings.
Dureza meanwhile called on the people to “remain steadfast and vigilant and not allow such dastardly acts to further terrorize us.”
Bombs ripped through two department stores in Iligan City Thursday, killing two people and injuring at least 30 others, authorities said.
Police swarmed the bloodied, upturned baggage check-in counters of the Unity store and the neighboring Gerry's Shoppers' Plaza in downtown Iligan to collect evidence shortly after the early afternoon blasts.
Local police investigators and witnesses said the bombs went off within 15 minutes of each other.
Two people, including a baggage counter clerk at one of the stores, were killed, Master Sergeant Armando Amoroso, a military investigator on the scene, told Agence France-Presse.
Investigators had no immediate motive or suspects.
Surveillance videos reportedly showed two women allegedly planted explosive devices in one of the two department stores that were bombed.
Iligan City Mayor Lawrence Cruz said investigators are currently studying the closed circuit television video (CCTV) that reportedly captured the images of the suspects who were caught in the act of planting the bombs.
