No bomb fragments found in Jolo blast site

Phillipines hit by another bomb blast. terror has no boundaries and certainly no rules.

By Julie Alipala
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:37:00 08/31/2009

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Western Mindanao Command said no fragment of the bomb that exploded Sunday night in Jolo, Sulu has been found.

Two soldiers were injured when an improvised bomb exploded on an interior road in the village of Bus-bus in Jolo, Sulu, on Sunday night.

But Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, Western Mindanao Command chief, said it was surprising that not a single trace of fragment was recovered from the blast site.

"Walang na recover yung mga miyembro ng EOD (Members of the Exlosives and Ordnance Unit did not recover anything), but the explosion resulted in a two-foot crater along the road," he said.

Dolorfino declared the attack as the handiwork of terrorists. "Definitely it's terrorism," Dolorfino said, but he did not blame any specific group.

Supt. Alibuddin Esmail, provincial police chief, said those who planted the bomb were just trying to make their presence felt.

"Nagpaparamdam lang at walang intention pumatay. Nagpaparamdam na nandiyan pa sila (They just want to make their presence felt)," he said.

Esmail said the bomb was planted near the premises of Philippine Air Force camp and the local Department of Public Works and Highways office, not near the airport as earlier reported.

Dolorfino said two members of the 545th Engineering Brigade -- Private First Class Nasser Asid and Pfc. Sajirun Jamil -- sustained shrapnel wounds on their backs.

Dolorfino said the soldiers were on their way back to camp and were riding on a motorcycle when the bomb exploded as they passed by the road.