Philippines: Twin Bombings That Killed Two Not Terror Attacks

Police officials in the Philippines on Monday dismissed terrorism as the motive in twin weekend bombings that killed two people near Manila’s Muslim area and said they arrested one of the four identified suspects.

Police Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel, chief of the Manila Police District, said police identified the suspect in custody as Abel Macaraya, who allegedly was responsible for the Saturday evening bomb attacks near a mosque in Quiapo district.

He has been charged with multiple frustrated murder and illegal possession of explosives charges, Coronel said.

Coronel ruled out terrorism as an angle, adding the motive for the attack was personal and connected to a dispute involving the suspect’s brother-in-law who was beaten by two men.

The case apparently has not been acted upon and remained at the desk of a local Shiite Muslim cleric, Nasser Abinal, who was the target of the attack but was unhurt because he was not at his office at the time of blast.

“Based on our investigation, the family was angered by the inaction and they came up with revenge,” Coronel told a news conference in Manila.

Three other suspects are being sought, Coronel said.

Full story: BenarNews

Felipe Villamor
Manila