Cotabato university suspends classes in protest of killer blast

MANILA, Philippines - Classes at a university in Cotabato City were suspended Monday in protest of Sunday’s bombing that killed five people, including one of its students. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Monday said the suspension of classes at the Notre Dame University, a Catholic institution, was a way of “condemning" the attack near the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the city. “It was the third time that the said church became the target of a bombing," the CBCP said on its Web site. According to the CBCP, a powerful improvised explosive device was found inside the cathedral in January 1995 but it didn’t explode due to faulty wiring. The 1995 explosive, fashioned from a live 60-mm mortar rigged with a battery-operated timing device, was found in a black bag and covered with packed food. In 1999, suspected terrorists detonated a bomb at the gate of Church-run radio station dxMS, which is adjacent to the cathedral. Two radio anchors were wounded, the CBCP said. But it said Sunday’s bombing did not disrupt other Masses scheduled for the day in the cathedral. Cathedral director Fr. Edwin de Gracia said the incident even calls for more prayer and ask for guidance. Bombing condemned Pope Benedict XVI himself condemned the bomb attack near the cathedral. “And sadly, today as yesterday, this cry is incessant, because human blood continues to flow as a result of violence, injustice and hatred. When will people learn that life is sacred and belongs to God alone? When will people understand that we are all brothers?" he said. Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo condemned the bombing and asked the faithful to pray for the casualties in the incident and to extend help to those who were injured. “Even if it can be argued that a church or its worshipers may not be the direct target, to place a bomb near a church where people are worshiping God would be doubly heinous and must be condemned by all people of good will," Quevedo said in a statement issued Sunday noon. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said the Armed Forces of the Philippines has formed Task Force Tugis to go after the perpetrators. "The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Task Force Tugis and the local police are still tightening security measures in and around the city. The 603rd Infantry Battalion of the army has already beefed up security forces in the city," the NDCC said. It said the Cotabato City police and the AFP’s explosive and ordnance division units are still investigating the incident, and have yet to determine the type of explosive used. The Philippine military had tagged the Special Operations Group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as responsible for the blast. The MILF, however, denied the allegations. - GMANews.TV