2 predawn explosions rock Zamboanga City

(Updated 8:20 a.m.) At least two predawn explosions rocked the southern city of Zamboanga Friday, even as local officials said no one was reported hurt in the incidents. In an interview on Unang Balita, Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat said the explosions occurred 20 to 30 minutes apart. The first one was exploded near the entrance gate of a university about 4 a.m., and the other blast occurred at Plaza Pershing, one of the city’s main plazas. Lobregat stressed, however, that "there was no intention to hurt anybody," as he described the blasts as meant merely to call attention to a group’s complaint against an official. He added that there were no casualties in the explosions. "This has something to do with their complaint [against] an official in the Office on Muslim Affairs," Lobregat said, adding that the complaint concerned on “Haj fees."
He, however, did not identify the group behind the explosions, but said the official was the executive director of the Office on Muslim Affairs. "The message is supposedly addressed to Senator [Juan Ponce] Enrile because there was supposed to be an investigation in the OMA concerning this official," Lobregat said. "If they have legitimate complaints, hindi ganito ang paraan. Actually what they are trying to do is trying to get attention to their cause. If this is the way they are going to do it, they are complicating the matter. They are now more guilty of violating the law," Lobregat said. Security forces in the area have been placed on full alert. Army Col. Santiago Baluyot, commander of a military anti-terror task force, said bomb experts have not recovered any shrapnel in the areas where the explosions occurred. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, but previous bombings had been largely blamed by authorities on the Abu Sayyaf bandit group. - with a report from Al Jacinto/RSJ, GMANews.TV