10 people hurt in Xmas blast inside Sulu chapel

(Update 3 - 6:30 p.m.) The casualty toll in the Christmas Day explosion inside a Roman Catholic chapel in Jolo, Sulu climbed to ten late Saturday as investigators continued to trace the assailants responsible for the attack. Among the wounded was nine-year-old Anna Marie Girasul. Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said three more wounded individuals were identified. They were newly ordained Catholic priest Rev. Ricky Bacoldol, Dr. Marian Lao, and Joshua Quibang, 16. Earlier in the day, six other injured church-goers were identified as Emma Tan, 29, of Katanyagan Village; Antonette Quiñones, 30; Noel Indana, 33, of Camp Asturias; Johnny Chang, 50; Trishalan Carlos, 22; and Rochelle Ann Carlos, 21. The explosion happened at about 7 a.m. inside the Asturias Evangelical Chapel in a police camp in Barangay Asturias. The chapel is located some 500 meters from the Sulu Provincial Police Headquarters. Rev. Romeo Villanueva, 72, was in the middle of reading his Christmas message during the Mass when the explosion ripped through the right side of the chapel's roof. “I was reading the Gospel. I was not yet finished when there was a loud explosion," Villanueva told The Associated Press by telephone. He said the younger priest who was assisting him, Rev. Bacoldol, was thrown off his feet by the blast and suffered a slight leg injury. Improvised explosive device There were around 100 people inside the chapel when the incident happened, authorities said. Four of the ten injured people were rushed to the Sulu Provincial Hospital, while the rest were brought to other hospitals. Investigators said the blast, which damaged the chapel's ceiling and altar, was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) although they have not identified possible suspects as of posting time. Authorities said they are trying to figure out how the bomber managed to sneak in the IED despite the security personnel inside the church, who were deployed since Thursday upon the request of Fr. Ramin Hankin. Cruz said members of the PNP Special Action Forces were already manning the gate of the chapel. Recovered from the crime site were materials believed to have been used for the attack, including parts of a cell phone that could have detonated the device and a black plastic bag that served as a container of the ingredients used to make the IED. The recovered items had already been brought to the PNP's Western Mindanao Regional Crime Laboratory in Zamboanga City. ‘Insensitive, barbaric act’ The PNP has already condemned the incident, calling it “insensitive and barbaric." “It came like a thief in the night, sowing terror and grief to the worshipers who were celebrating the birth of Jesus," Cruz said. The police spokesman said PNP investigators would “leave no stones unturned" to determine who were behind the holiday attack. “Let this incident be a cue to all the faithful, whether Christians or Muslims, or other religions to condemn this and similar dastardly attacks on helpless citizens," he said. — Mark Merueñas with AP reports, MRT/LBG/JV, GMANews.TV