State of emergency declared after Philippine attacks

The Philippine Government has declared a state of emergency in the southern city of General Santos, where a series of bombings yesterday killed at least 14 people and injured 69 others.

National Security Advisor Roilo Golez said the details of the emergency are being worked out, but he revealed that the order would be accompanied by an intensified crackdown on Muslim 'terrorists'.

He added that the Government is “looking into the possibility” of extending the emergency to other areas.

General Santos is a largely Christian city of 800,000 people in the Mindanao region, where Islamic rebels have been fighting for an independent homeland for decades.

A small bomb exploded on a fishing boat outside the city today and police reported two arrests in connection with yesterday’s explosions.

A man who rang a radio station to give advance warning of yesterday’s attacks rang back today to say that they were retribution for attacks against Muslim civilians by the Philippine army in its war against the Abu Sayyaf group.

“There have been more Muslim civilians killed in the war between soldiers and rebels in Mindanao,” he said, “and no one has asked why Muslim civilians have been killed, but when non-Muslims are involved, everybody is raising a howl”.

The man identified himself as Abu Muslim al-Ghazie and said he represented al-Harakatul al-Islamiyah – the Abu Sayyaf’s formal name.

He claimed that a total of 18 bombs had been planted throughout General Santos.