Explosion rocks Zamboanga City hours before GMA stopover

ZAMBOANGA CITY , Philippines  – A powerful explosion rocked this southern port city Wednesday night, barely hours before the arrival of President Arroyo on a brief stopover on her way to Basilan to inspect government projects, security officials said.

Senior Superintendent Edwin de Ocampo, city police chief, said a pillbox was thrown at a vacant lot formerly occupied by the barter-trading center, just at the back of City Hall.

He said the explosion was apparently meant “to get attention.”

“It appeared the explosion was not aimed at civilian targets because it was a vacant lot and the attack was not terrorism-related,” he said.

De Ocampo said a certain Ustadz Samsudin forwarded a text message prior to the blast.

Authorities said Samsudin appeared to be responsible for similar explosions last February in the downtown area, in what were believed to be a protest action against an official of the Office of Muslim Affairs.

De Ocampo said that based on their investigation, Samsudin is not fictitious, as he was found to be a Basilan resident who was once spearheaded Muslim pilgrims.

“The latest explosion was not terrorism-related. However, the act engaged by the suspect is terrorism and we are tracking him down for his early arrest,” he said.

The explosion Wednesday night heightened security as Mrs. Arroyo arrived at the Edwin Andrews Air Base where she stayed for about two minutes before flying to Tipo-Tipo, Basilan where she inspected a circumferential road project.

Mrs. Arroyo later met in a closed-door conference with senior military officials in Sitio Kamalig where a Marine battalion is based.