Terrorism: Provinces of the Philippines and Improvised Explosive Device

INTRODUCTION:

Terrorism in the Philippines are conflicts based on political issues conducted by rebel organizations against the Philippine government, its citizens and supporters. Most terrorism in the country are conducted by Islamic terrorist groups. The most active terrorist groups in the Philippines are the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf, Rajah Sulaiman Movement and Jemaah Islamiyah. Prior to Islamic terrorist groups, the Philippines were terrorized by communist organizations, most notably the New People's Army.

Islamic terrorism is a form of religious terrorism committed by extremists of Islam mostly for the religious beliefs and sometimes on achieving varying political ends again in the name of religion. Islamic terrorism has been identified as taking place in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and United States since the 1970s. Islamic terrorist organizations have been known to engage in tactics including suicide attacks,hijackings, kidnapping and recruiting new members through the Internet.

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List of terrorist incidents in the Philippines
Since January 2000 radical Islamist groups and Islamist separatist forces in the Philippines have carried out over 40 major bombings against civilians and civilian property, mostly in the southern regions of the country around Mindanao, Basilan, Jolo and other nearby islands. Numerous bombings have also been carried out in and around Metro Manila, though several hundred kilometres from the conflict in the southern regions, due to its political importance. In the period from 2000 to 2007 attacks killed nearly 400 Filipino civilians and injured well over one thousand five hundred more, more casualties than caused by bombings and other attacks in Indonesia, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, or Britain during the same period.
Public transport and other gathering places, such as street markets, have been the favoured bombing targets, however large-scale abductions and shootings have also been carried out by the groups, predominantly by the Abu Sayyaf the Rajah Solaiman Movement, two groups that had claimed responsibility for most of the attacks.
1970s
Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | August 21, 1971 | 9 | 95+ | Main article: 1971 Plaza Miranda bombingSeveral explosions occurred during a political campaign rally of the Liberal Party at Plaza Miranda in the district of Quiapo, Manila [7] causing nine deaths and injuring 95 others.[8] As a crowd of about 4,000 gathered to hear speeches, two hand grenades were reportedly tossed on stage.[9] Among those killed instantly were a 5-year-old child and The Manila Times photographer Ben Roxas while many on stage were injured, including incumbent Senator Jovito Salonga, Liberal Party president Gerardo Roxas and Sergio Osmeña, Jr., son of former President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, Sergio Osmeña. |
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1980s Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | April 19, 1981 | 17 | 150+ | Davao City, DavaoOn Easter Sunday, 17 people are killed in a grenade attack during mass on San Pedro cathedral, Davao City, similar to the later 1993 attack.[10] | March 18, 1987 | 4 | 38+ | Baguio City, Cordillera Administrative RegionA bomb explodes at a military academy in Baguio where President Corazon C. Aquino is scheduled to speak that weekend, killing four people and wounding 38. The explosion happened at 10 A.M. in a specially built grandstand during a rehearsal for the weekend visit, killing at least one civilian. The bomb appeared to have been placed in a roof beam. Some sources suggested that "disgruntled military elements" may have been responsible.[11] |
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1990s
Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | April 4, 1991 | 2+ | unknown | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaTwo American evangelists were killed when Abu Sayyaf militants launched a grenade attack in Zamboanga City.[12][13] | August 11, 1991 | 6 | 32+ | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaDuring the last night of the MV Doulos' stop in the port of Zamboanga City two of her foreign crewmembers were killed when a grenade thrown by Abu Sayyafmembers[12] exploded on stage during a performance by its Christian missionaries.[14] Four locals were killed[15] and 32 others were injured, including several crew members of the missionary ship.[14] | December 24, 1993 | 5 | 48+ | Northern MindanaoOn Christmas Eve, unidentified men threw grenades into a street market in the province of Misamis Occidental, killing 5 shoppers and wounding at least 48.[10] | December 27, 1993 | 6 | 130+ | Davao City, Davao6 people died and at least 130 more were wounded as attackers tossed three grenades into the packed Roman Catholic San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City.[10]Red Cross officials put the death toll from the attack at 7, but the police confirmed 6 dead.[10] The attack occurred during the main evening Mass when the cathedral was packed with thousands of worshipers. One device exploded by the altar while a fourth device failed to detonate.[10] Eight hours after the attack, suspected Christian militants retaliated by firing two grenades at a Muslim mosque. One exploded, but there were no casualties according to police reports.[10] | April 4, 1995 | 53 | 48+ | Ipil, Zamboanga PeninsulaAt the break of dawn, 200 heavily-armed members of Abu Sayyaf entered the town of Ipil and gunned down 53 people, robbed banks, plundered stores, took 30 hostages as human shields, and then burned the centre of the town to the ground.[16] The town's Chief of Police was reportely killed in the attack and close to abillion pesos were looted from eight commercial banks.[17] Army commandos pursued some rebel gunmen in nearby mountains while officials said that the rebels were looting farms and seizing civilians as "human shields" as they fled the town of 50,000 people.[18] About 40 rebels, who may have taken hostages, were cornered in a school compound west of Ipil on the 6th of April when an elite army unit attacked. In the fighting that followed, the television station GMA reported, 11 civilians were killed.[18] | January 3, 1999 | 10 | 74+ | Jolo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoAbu Sayyaf militants lob a grenade into a crowd that had gathered to watch firefighters put out a blaze in a neighborhood supermarket in Jolo, killing 10 people and injuring 74 more.[16] This was an apparent revenge attack for the killing of Abu Sayyaf leader Abdurazzak Janjalani by police in December the previous year.[16] | February 14, 1999 | 6 | unknown | Basilan, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoAbu Sayyaf members open fire on a Jeep full of Christians from Tumahubong, Basilan, on their way to a seminar in Isabela City. Some of the victims were hacked with bolos. Six were killed in the ambush.[12] |
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2000 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | February 25 | 41 | 100+ | Ozamiz City, Northern MindanaoA large incendiary bomb exploded aboard a bus on the ferry Lady Mediatrix[19] as it crossed Panguil Bay to Ozamiz City in Mindanao, killing up to 41 people,[20]though police initially confirmed only 26 deaths.[21] Dozens more were injured and at least 50 badly burnt passengers were taken to local hospitals.[19]Witnesses said the bomb exploded as the ferry was about 20 yards from the pier at Ozamiz[19] and that people on the ferry, which was carrying 20 vehicles, jumped into the sea in panic after the blast.[19] A second bomb went off at about the same time, in another bus owned by the same company at Rizal,Zamboanga del Norte province, injuring at least four people, police said.[19] | May 3, 2000 - June 6, 2003[12] | 0 | unknown, allegedly several[22] | On May 3, 2000, Abu Sayyaf guerillas occupied the Malaysian dive resort island Sipadan and took 21 hostages, including 10 tourists and 11 resort workers - 19 non-Filipino nationals in total. The hostages were taken to an Abu Sayyaf base in Jolo, Sulu.[12]Two Muslim Malaysians were released soon after, however Abu Sayyaf made various demands for the release of several prisoners, including 1993 World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef, $2.4 million and a complete withdrawal of government troops from the area around Jolo where they were holding the hostages.[22]At one point the rebels were reported to have demanded a ransom of $2 million for the release of an ailing German tourist among their captives.[23] In July, a Filipino television evangelist and 12 of his crew offered their help and went as mediators for the relief of other hostages. They, three French television crew members and a German journalist, all visiting Abu Sayyaf on Jolo, were also taken hostage.[22][24] Most hostages were released between August and September, 2000,[24] partly due to mediation by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and an offer of $25 million in "development aid".[24] One hostage reported other female captives being raped.[22] Abu Sayyaf conducted a second raid on the island of Pandanan near Sipadan on September 10 and seized three more Malaysians.[25] The Philippine army launched a major offensive on September 16, 2000, rescuing all remaining hostages, except Filipino dive instructor Roland Ullah. He was eventually freed in 2003.[12] | May 18 | 5 | 70+ | Jolo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoOn Jolo Island three grenades were thrown into a public market, killing up to four and wounding more than 40.[26] At around the same time, in Zamboanga City, one person was killed and more than 30 wounded when a crude time bomb exploded in a crowded bakery-cafe opposite a police station.[23][26] Both devices exploded at around 3:30pm.[23] The Jolo police chief quoted witnesses as saying that three men lobbed grenades from the second floor of the market, two exploded in a rice stall and the third in a crowded alley.[23] | May 21 | 1 | 17+ | Mandaluyong City, Metro ManilaA janitor dies and 17 others are injured as a bomb explodes outside an SM Megamall cinema toilet in Mandaluyong City at around 4:30 p.m. Several others were apparently injured during a stampede as smoke filled the mall.[27] | July 16 | 2 | 33 | Kabacan, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb explodes in a crowded public market in the town of Kabacan on Mindanao, killing at least two people and injuring 33. The explosion during Sunday morning, on the main shopping day of the predominantly Christian town, was caused by a device improvised from an 81 millimeter mortar shell, stated military sources. Many of the wounded were hospitalized in a serious condition, while the Moro Islamic Liberation Front is suspected of planting the weapon.[28] | July 31 | 3 | 36 | Monkayo, Davao RegionThree people were killed and 36 others wounded when an unidentified man threw an improvised explosive device at a crowd in the GM Jumping Horse carnival grounds, near the municipal health office of Monkayo, Compostela Valley. Two people were killed at the scene, while a third victim died due to loss of blood after being taken to hospital. Thirty-six others were hurt by shrapnel and a stampede following the blast, according to a regional police spokesman. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but the military stated investigators did not rule out the involvement of either communist rebels or Muslim separatist guerrillas.[29] | December 30 | 22 | 120+ | Main article: Rizal Day bombingsDuring the Rizal Day national holiday, a series of explosions occurred in five locations around Metro Manila within the span of an hour, leaving 22 dead and around 120 others with non fatal injuries.[30][31][32] * One bomb exploded at Plaza Ferguson in Malate, Manila, less than a hundred meters from the United States Embassy.[30] * A second bomb detonated at a gasoline station in the Makati central business district. The target was a gasoline station along EDSA, across the street from the Dusit Hotel in Makati. Two policemen, members of the local bomb squad, died as a result of this explosion.[30] * The cargo handling area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was also targeted with at least one explosive device.[30] * Another explosive device was detonated inside a bus traveling along the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) while the bus was en route in the Cubao area of Quezon City. One passenger was killed while several others were injured.[30] * The explosion that claimed the most casualties occurred in a train cab at the Blumentritt station of the Metro Manila Light Rail Transit.[30] More than ten passengers were killed and many dozen injured.[30] |
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2001
Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | May 27, 2001 - June 7, 2002 | 40+ | Many | Main article: Dos Palmas kidnappingsThe Dos Palmas kidnappings was a hostage crisis in the southern Philippines that began with the seizing of twenty hostages from an upscale island resort onPalawan by Abu Sayyaf members on the 27th of May, 2001, and resulted in the deaths of at least 5 of the original hostages, including the two American citizens Guillermo Sobero - who was beheaded on June 12 - and Martin Burnham.[33] At least 22 soldiers were killed in attempts to apprehend the captors and free the hostages in the 12 months following the initial hostage taking.[34] A unknown number of captors died also.During the crisis the number of those taken captive varied greatly as more hostages were seized in numerous raids on the island of Basilan, including two on the town of Lamitan; on 2 June to occupy a church and hospital compound and take numerous captives,[35][35] and a second on 2 August where suspected Abu Sayyaf militants captured 35 villagers, beheading 10 of them.[36] Four children, including two 12 year-olds, were also among 15 hostages taken from the coconut plantation in the Lantawan area of Basilan in June.[37] Therefore a total of those taken prisoner at some point may be impossible to determine, however news reports suggest at least 100 hostages were taken and around 20 murdered in just over a year up until the final assault resulting in the freeing of Gracia Burnham and killing of Martin Burnham and Filipina nurse Ediborah Yap on June 7, 2002.[33] | October 29 | 11 | 60+ | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaAt least 11 people were killed and scores injured when a bomb exploded at a restaurant in a crowded plaza in Zamboanga City.[38][39] The bomb, believed to be a homemade device, exploded at a barbecue grill in the plaza of the Zamboanga Puericulture Centre beside the city's largest shopping mall.[38] The military previously warned that the Abu Sayyaf group, which was holding two Americans and nine Filipinos in the nearby island of Basilan at that time, might stage attacks and bombings to divert the attention of pursuing military and police forces.[39] |
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2002 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | April 20 | 15 | 55+ | General Santos, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb exploded outside a busy department store in General Santos, killing 15 people.[12] Two other bombs went off in quick succession near a radio station and a bus terminal also in General Santos. The series of blasts injured at least 55 people, while the dead included four children. Police said they received an anonymous call claiming 18 bombs had been planted around the largely Christian city of 800,000 people in the predominantly Muslim south. Earlier in the year the so-called Indigenous People's Federal Army had planted more than a dozen fake bombs in the area, saying they would use real bombs if their demands were not met. Police later arrested two men, members of a Muslim extremist group, based on the description from witnesses who saw one of the men place the small, homemade bomb outside the Fit Mart department store in the mall.[40] Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the incident.[12] | October 2 | ~4 | 24+ | Main article: 2002 Zamboanga bombingA bomb blast in front of a karaoke bar near a military arms depot[12] in Zamboanga City kills an American Green Beret commando and three Filipino civilians. At least 25 other people, one of them another American trooper, were wounded in the blast.[41] Investigators were looking at the possibility of a suicide attack as the rider of a motorcycle where the explosives were rigged was among the fatalities.[41] A military intelligence report said the attack was staged by a "four-man urban terrorist group" of the Abu Sayyaf which has been linked to al-Qaeda.[41] | October 10 | ~8 | 26+ | Kidapawan City, SOCCSKSARGENA powerful homemade bomb exploded in a crowded bus station in Kidapawan City, North Cotabato, killing up to eight people and wounding 26 others.[42]Kidapawan police said two of the fatalities died instantly, while the others died undergoing treatment in local hospitals.[42] One of the fatalities was an un-identified child. The spokesman for the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the explosion occurred at around 3 p.m. as passengers and bystanders crowded the Weena Bus terminal in Kidapawan.[42] Initial investigation reports said the explosive device was placed under a concrete bench near the ticketing booth and fashioned from incendiary chemicals mixed with nails and shredded cast iron, and rigged with a battery-operated, time-delayed blasting device.[42] Other reports said it was a grenade used.[43] The management of Weena had earlier received a letter from an extortion ring of a local gang, demanding protection money.[42] | October 17 | 7 | 150+ | Main article: 2002 Zamboanga bombingTwo TNT bombs exploded inside a shopping center in Zamboanga City, killing seven[44] and wounding about 150 people.[45] Two department stores were devastated in the attack; the first blast occurred at 11:30 a.m. at the Shop-o-Rama department store and was followed a half hour later by a second explosion at the adjacent Shoppers Central store.[45] Police Chief Mario Yanga said the bombs were deposited at counters where shoppers leave packages as they enter.[45] | October 17 | 3 | 30+ | Quezon City, Metro ManilaA bomb exploded in the rear of a bus as it was travelling through Quezon City, killing 3 and wounding around 30 others.[46] The explosion ripped off its roof and sent debris flying 20–30 metres. Earlier a grenade exploded in the Makati financial district though no-one was injured.[47] | October 21 | 1 | 18+ | Main article: 2002 Zamboanga bombingA Philippine Marine guarding the church was killed and 18 others wounded after a bomb in bag left at a candle store exploded at Fort Pilar,[44] a Catholic shrine in Zamboanga City.[48] | December 24 | 13 | 12 | Datu Piang, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA bomb exploded during a party for the Mayor of the town of Datu Piang, Maguindanao, killing 13, including the mayor Saudi Ampatuan. The explosion took place outside his home, injuring 12 others.[49] Authorities checked a possible link between the explosion and a gun battle at a disco the weekend before which involved feuding political families. A brother of Mayor Ampatuan and four others died in the skirmish and eight other people were injured.[49] | December 31 | ~10 | 32+ | Tacurong City, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb blast next to a fireworks stall in a Tacurong City market at around 8 p.m. on New Years Eve kills at least 10 people and injures up to 32 others.[50] The explosive used may have either been a 60mm mortar shell or a grenade.[51] Witnesses said about 50 customers were at the stall buying firecrackers when the blast occurred at the city's busy square. Four people died instantly, including the 14-year-old, an army spokesman reported.[50] |
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2003 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | March 4 | 21 | 146+ | Davao City, DavaoIn the so-called Davao International Airport bombing a homemade bomb exploded at the waiting shed fronting the Davao International Airport at around 5:25 p.m, killing at least 21 and wounding at least 146. Airport personnel said the bomb exploded just as passengers of Cebu Pacific from Manila were deplaning. Among the victims were taxi drivers, airport porters, vendors, those sheltering from a tropical downpour while waiting for relatives and friends to arrive.[52] An American missionary was killed while two other US nationals sustained injuries. The wounded Americans were identified as members of a Southern Baptist missionary family: Barbara Stevens, 33, her nine-month-old son, Nathan, and William Hyde, said to have multiple injuries.[53] A boy, a girl, seven women and 10 men were among the other deceased.[52] The waiting shed faces directly the arrivals section of the airport and the explosion ripped portion of its roof and shattered the glass windows on the first and second floors of the arrivals area across the street.[54] In response to the bombing PAL announced it was suspending its Davao-Manila flights for the next day. American and Australian experts are helping Philippine investigators examine the airport bombing.[55] The waiting shed blast was the worst in the history of the city in terms of victims, surpassing even the 1981 and 1993 attacks on San Pedro Cathedral. | April 2 | 17 | 70+ | Davao City, DavaoAt least 17 people were killed when a bomb exploded near a barbecue stand in a row of food stalls by the Sasa wharf ferry terminal in Davao City.[56] Witnesses said a nun, four policemen, several vendors and a number of children were among those killed in the blast, while the military said more than 40 people[55] or up to sixty people were injured.[56] The government blamed the largest of four Muslim separatist groups for the attack, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, though the group strongly denied responsibility and called for the killers to be brought to justice. The Sasa Wharf bomb may have been meant for a ferry that had just landed at the Davao port.[56] | April 23 | 4 | ~9 | Carmen, SOCCSKSARGENSuspected MILF rebels attack a minibus in Carmen town, killing four people and wounding a further nine. A military spokesman stated that the four killed in the Carmen bus attack were a government official, Dionisio Villaver, his son and their two security escorts, apparently targeted as Villaver had supported a military offensive against the rebels. The minibus hit a landmine, and was thrown onto its side, after which MILF forces blasted the vehicle with rocket-propelled grenades and rifle fire.[57] | April 24 | 13 | 20+ | Lanao del Norte, Northern MindanaoA Super 5 bus driver and a female passenger were killed when suspected MILF members fired upon and seized a bus after it failed to halt at a rebel checkpoint in Kulambugan town, Lanao del Norte.[58] At least 10 passengers were wounded and several taken hostage in the neaby town.[59] Though the number of hostages taken in the Kolambugan attack could not be independently confirmed, sources stated four policemen were also held hostage after the rebels overran their outpost.[57]A statement from the commanding officer of the 401st Infantry Brigade reported that 11 civilians were also killed when several dozen MILF guerrillas attacked a fish car in Maigo at around 5:30 a.m. on the 25th, after it too failed to halt at an improvised rebel checkpoint.[58] Another 8 persons were also wounded by gunfire on the fish car travelling to Libertad, Misamis Oriental.[58] The commander also stated MILF forces allegedly flagged down several buses in the village of Kulasian but it was unknown if they took some of the passengers as hostages.[59] The traffic in Maigo had reportedly been halted after the rebels destroyed several bridges on the highway.[57] | May 9 | 10 | 42+ | Koronadal City, SOCCSKSARGENAn explosion in a public market in the southern city of Koronadal kills ten people and wounds 42 others.[60][61] The bomb, reportedly made from an 81-millimeter mortar shell, exploded in a busy shopping street and authorities believe two suspected bombers, including one seen setting down a package containing the device, may have been among those killed.[62] The attack followed a breakdown in peace talks between the government and a Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. While the government immediately blamed the group, a MILF spokesman told Reuters it had nothing to do with the bombing.[63] Two were arrested in early 2004 as suspects for the bombing, though several people, including the wife of one suspect, claimed they were arrested without any warrant.[60] | October 3 | 3 | ~30 | Midsayap, SOCCSKSARGENAt least three people were killed and as many as 30 wounded as an unidentified man hurls grenades into mosque inside the compound of the Government's National Irrigation Administration in the town of Midsayap amid Friday prayers, on the island of Mindanao, police said. Among the fatalities was Ismael Datu Kali, an Islamic preacher presiding over the prayers and regional irrigation director who died of his wounds on the way to the hospital.[64] | October 5 | 5 | 1 | Tawi-Tawi, Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoSix workers - Filipino and Indonesian nationals - are abducted from the Borneo Paradise Resort in Sabah, Malaysia, by suspected Abu Sayyaf fighters and brought to Tawi-Tawi island in the western Philippines.[65][66] The kidnappers had demanded 60 million Malaysian ringgits in exchange for the safe release of the 6 hostages, according to Malaysian officials.[67] One worker reportedly escaped while the other five were allegedly killed in a shooting incident outside the town of Languyan on Tawi-Tawi around October 27, despite later reports that the hostages were alive.[66] |
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2004 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | January 4 | ~24 | 87+ | Parang, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA homemade explosive device attached to a motorcycle parked in front of a gymnasium detonated during a basketball game in Parang, on Mindanao Island, killing at least ten people[68] and possibly up to 24 people.[69][70] At least eighty-seven others were injured, including two police and the target, the city's mayor.[68] Witnesses said the spectators were mostly teenagers. Authorities believe the attack was an attempt to assassinate the Christian town mayor, Vivencio Bataga, who was giving a speech at the gymnasium in the town.[68] This was the fourth attempt on Bataga's life in the previous year as unidentified men had earlier fired a rocket-propelled grenade that missed Bataga's vehicle, and in April 2003 a bomb exploded while he was in a public market.[68] | February 26 | 116 | many, unknown | Main article: 2004 SuperFerry 14 bombingA large explosion caused the sinking of SuperFerry 14 and the deaths of 116 people in the Philippines' worst terrorist attack. The 10,192-ton ferry sailed out ofManila for Cagayan de Oro City via Bacolod City and Iloilo City with about 900 passengers and crew. A television set containing an 8-pound (3.6 kilograms) TNTbomb had been placed on board in the lower, more crowded decks.[71][72]An hour after its 11 p.m. sailing, just off El Fraile island,[72] an explosion tore through SuperFerry 14, starting a fire that engulfed the ship and caused the confirmed deaths of 63 people, while another 53 were reported missing and presumed dead.[71] Six children less than five years old, and nine children between six and 16 years of age were among the dead or missing, including six students on a championship team sent by schools in northern Mindanao to compete in ajournalism contest.[72] Despite claims from various terrorist groups, the blast was initially thought to have been an accident, caused by a gas explosion. However, after divers righted the ferry, five months after it sank, they found evidence of a bomb blast. A man named Redondo Cain Dellosa, a Rajah Sulaiman Movement member, confessed to planting a bomb, triggered by a timing device, on board for the Abu Sayyaf guerrilla group.[71] He held a ticket on the ferry for bunk 51B, where the bomb was placed, and disembarked before the ship's departure.[72] | December 12 | 14 | 64+ | General Santos, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb exploded in a public market in South Dadiangas, General Santos City, killing fourteen people and wounding up to 70 others.[73] The market in the predominantly Christian city of 500,000 people had been packed with Christmas shoppers at the time of the explosion.[74] A week prior to the event, an anonymous source claimed that a group associated with Al-Ghozi (a member of Jemaah Islamiyah) threatened to burn the market in retaliation for the death of one of its members. However, Philippine police initially suggested the bombing was the result of a feud between rival groups over a market stall.[74] Soon after the bombing, military intelligence sources concluded that Jemaah Islamiyah was responsible for the bombing and was working with Abu Sayyaf to bomb other targets on Mindanao Island. Police arrested five suspects in the bombing.[75] Another four rebels were arrested in June 2005, including Uztadz Norodin Mangelen, the leader and alleged local JI representative of the group thought responsible for this attack and another in March 2003 against the Davao airport. |
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2005 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | February 14 | 8 | 100+ | In the so-called Valentine's Day bombings, three bomb attacks took place in Makati City, Davao City and General Santos, killing up to 8 people and injuring dozens, possibly up to 150.[76][77] * The first blast took place at around 6:30 p.m, at a stand for three-wheel pedicabs about 30 meters away from the Gaisano Mall in General Santos, killing at least three people and wounding around 33 others.[76] The PNP stated the bomb had been stashed in a bag. * A 12-year-old boy also died when another bomb exploded almost simultaneously at a bus terminal in Davao City, Davao, injuring five others.[76] * The third bombing was reported soon afterward on a bus along the busy highway of EDSA in the financial district of Makati, Metro Manila, just below the station for an elevated train and near the Intercontinental Hotel.[76] Three people died instantly, while 74 others were injured as the bomb ripped through the bus during rush hour at around 7:50 p.m, also setting two nearby buses on fire.[76] Dozens were treated for serious burns, including passengers of the two other buses.[77] Earlier in the day, five explosive devices containing TNT were defused after they were found in front of a building in San Martín de Porres,Parañaque City.Abu Sayyaf claimed responsibility for the bombing in retaliation for a military offensive launched by government troops in early 2005. An Indonesian national and two Filipino members of the Abu Sayyaf group were sentenced to death in connection with the Valentine's Day bombings in October 2005. During the five-month trial, one of the witnesses – a bus conductor – identified the two Filipino accused as the passengers who left the bus in a hurry shortly before the blast in Makati.[78] | April 21 | 1 | unknown | Piagapo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoArmed men abducted 19 people, most of them female university students, in the island of Mindanao. The local anti-terrorism task force chief reported the suspects boarded a mini-bus carrying the students and later commandeered it near the town of Piagapo. While twenty-two passengers were initially taken, three were later let go.[79] As the joint force of Philippine Marines and police caught up with the kidnap group and their hostages in Gakap, 8 hours after the abduction, a firefight ensued, killing one policeman identified as Edris Sultan. All hostages were rescued unharmed reported police officials.[80] | August 28 | 4 | 30+ | Lamitan City, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoAt least 30 people were severely injured, mostly from third-degree burns, after a homemade bomb left near the canteen at the rear of the ferry MV Dona Ramonaexploded and engulfed the lower deck in fire as it sat at Lamitan wharf, Basilan, 15 minutes before it was scheduled to sail.[81] Over the coming month, four people, including several children, would succumb to their injuries in hospital.[82] |
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2006
Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | February 2 | 6 | 6+ | Patikul, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoMuslim extremists killed at least six people on a farm in Patikul, a small town on Sulu Island, near Jolo. Abu Sayyaf gunmen opened fire on a group of people, killing a 9-month-old Melanie Patinga and seriously wounding a three-year old boy and five others. Also killed were Emma and Pedro Casipong, Itting Pontilla and Selma Patinga. According to eyewitnesses the attack was motivated by religion, as survivors told military investigators that the attackers asked them for their religion, soon after opening fire on the Christians.[83] | March 27 | 9 | 20+ | Jolo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA homemade bomb explodes inside a convenience store owned by a Church-run cooperative in downtown Jolo[84] on Sulu Island, killing 9 and severely injuring 20 more.[84] Security officials said the blast ripped through the Sulu Consumer's Cooperative Store around 1:15 p.m, the explosion so powerful that it totally destroyed the facade of the building and threw debris across the street.[85] Those killed were mostly Muslim and employees.[84] The blast coincided with the government operation against Abu Sayyaf militants.[85] | June 23 | 6 | 9+ | Shariff Aguak, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoSix people were killed in a blast in Shariff Aguak town as a bomb, planted in a van parked in front of a public market, exploded at around 7 a.m. whileMaguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan's six-vehicle convoy was passing by.[86] Senior Superintendent Akmad Mamalinta stated one of the vehicles in the governor's 10-vehicle convoy was also destroyed, killing two aides, a niece and a close friend of Ampatuan. A fifth fatality was a nephew of Maguindanao Congressman Simeon Datumanong, while a male passerby injured in the blast died later in hospital.[87] | October 10 | 2 | 4+ | Main article: 2006 Central Mindanao bombingsA bomb exploded in a public market in Tacurong City, a predominantly Christian agricultural region in Sultan Kudarat, killing two women and injuring at least 4 others.[88] A guard reportedly found the bomb in a bag filled with packets of corn chips and attempted to remove it from a crowd before it exploded, preventing more casualties.[88] The bomb was described as being formed from a mortar round and remotely triggered by cell phone, however it apparently went off prematurely.[88] | October 10 | 6 | 42+ | Main article: 2006 Central Mindanao bombingsA bomb exploded at around 8 p.m. in front of the town hall of Makilala town in the southern part of North Cotabato province, killing 6[89] and injuring at least 42 others.[90] The bomb exploded nearby a row of commercial stalls and a carnival during celebrations of Makilala's founding anniversary. Quoting witnesses, the North Cotabato Provincial Police Chief stated an unidentified man carrying a plastic bag was seen visiting a stall selling alcohol in a crowded area along a highway, the explosion occurred minutes later.[88] The powerful explosion destroyed a row of stalls, two motorcycle taxis and left a deep crater in the asphalt road, the Police Chief said. The following day, another bomb was defused by the authorities nearby.[91] |
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2007 Date | Dead | Injured | Location and description | January 10 | 7 | 27+ | Three bombs exploded in cities across SOCCSKSARGEN, Mindanao, ahead of the ASEAN summit held in Manila, killing a total of 7 and injuring at last 27.[92] * The first explosion destroyed a stand selling lottery tickets across the street from a public market in General Santos City. Three people died instantly and another three succumbed to their injuries, with two children among the dead while another 22 were wounded.[92] * The second explosion occurred in Kidapawan City, about 65 miles north of General Santos City, as an improvised bomb placed near the fence of a police outpost along the national highway exploded, injuring two male passers-by.[92] * The third blast at a dumpsite along a major street in Cotabato City injured up to 5 and appeared to be from an improvised bomb, although it could also have been a grenade.[92] | May 8 | 8 | 33+ | Tacurong City, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb exploded in a crowded billiard hall and passenger terminal in Tacurong City killing 8 and causing thirty-three others serious shrapnel and burn wounds.[93] The blast occurred around 4:50 p.m. at a corner across from a restaurant where election officials, candidates and military officers were meeting ahead of May 14 balloting.[94] Authorities described the explosive used as either TNT or gelignite, similar to that of improvised explosive device recovered and defused on April 29, and that there were indications that the attack had been carried out by local JI recruits.[94] | May 18 | 3 | ~37 | Cotabato City, SOCCSKSARGENFive-year-old Adril Watangao and two adults are killed and up to 37 other people are injured when a bomb, probably laid by Islamic extremists, explodes in a Weena bus terminal in Cotabato City, in the Mindanao region. About half of the casualties were children.[95] | November 13 | 6 | 11 | Main article: Batasang Pambansa bombingA vehicle bomb explodes at around 20:15 p.m. near the south lobby of the main building of the Philippine House of Representatives killing six people, including congressman Wahab Akbar, two congressional aides, and two congressional staffers. Another congressman, Henry Teves, was taken to the hospital in a critical condition and representative Luzviminda Ilagan was hospitalised.[96] According to the police, a total of thirteen people, many of them congressional staff members, were hurt in the explosion that left a three-foot crater and several injured succumbed to their injuries later in hospital.[97]Police suspect an improvised explosive device was left in a motorcycle parked near Rep. Ilangan's car and was remotely detonated, as the explosion occurred immediately after the suspension of the session at 8:05 p.m. though the authorities could not immediately describe the type of explosive.[97] A spokesman for Akbar suggested that the attack was directed at the congressman, as Akbar and his family have ruled Basilan, an island in the south notorious as a base for theAbu Sayyaf terrorist group, for decades.[96] |
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2008 Date | Dead | Injured | Modusoperandi | Location and description | May 29 | 2 | ~21 | Improvised Explosive Device | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaTwo people were killed and up to 21 injured in a bomb attack outside a Philippine Air Force base where US soldiers, training local troops in anti-terrorism warfare, maintain a small camp in Zamboanga City. The blast coincided with sporadic fighting between Muslim rebels and soldiers in nearby Basilan island and the damaged building also houses the headquarters of Zamboanga City Representative Maria Isabelle Climaco. Reports said the bomb, hidden in a bag, was apparently left outside the building where a crowd of passengers, mostly military dependents, were waiting for a C130 transport plane that would take them to Manila. No group claimed responsibility for the attack though military officials are eyeing the possible involvement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.[98] | July 24 | 3 | ~24 | Improvised Explosive Device | Digos City, DavaoA bomb exploded on board a Metro Shuttle Bus parked at a terminal while on its way to Davao City from Bansalan, killing 3 people and injuring 24 others.[99] The mobile phone-activated bomb was placed inside a bag and exploded 10 minutes after it reached the Digos CityOverland Terminal. Four of the injured victims were taken to the Davao Medical Center in critical condition and a four-year-old boy was among those hit by shrapnel.[99] In response police and military checkpoints were established in and around Davao City. | July 29 | 4 | unknown | Small arms fire | Malabang, Autonomous Region in Muslim MindanaoArmed men stopped a mini-bus and murdered four Christian male passengers execution-style in Lanao del Sur, while a fifth male passenger was unaccounted for, likely abducted. The bus was carrying about 15 people when it was stopped near Malabang, an area under MILF control. Several passengers were robbed however the women were allowed to leave unharmed; four of the five men were dragged into a forest and shot in the head at close range.[100] | September 1 | 7 | 34+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Digos City, DavaoA powerful explosion on board a passenger bus kills at least 7 and wounds around 34. Witnesses described the powerful blast nearly tearing off the roof of the bus as it sat in the terminal.[101] Investigators believe a woman left the explosive device on the bus[102] and connect the blast to al-Khobar, an extortionist group that had threatened the bus company the week before the attack and who has carried out similar attacks in the past few years. The group is believed to have loose ties to various insurgent groups, such as Abu Sayyaf.[101] | November 2 | 5 | unknown | Small arms fire | Linamon, Northern MindanaoSuspected Christian vigilantes ambush a group of Muslim picnickers on Sunday, killing five, including a number of children. Mohagher Iqbal, a senior Moro Islamic Liberation Front leader, said the attack occurred at around 5 p.m. in the coastal town of Linamon in Lanao del Norte province and identified the perpetrators as Ilagas. He said the victims came from a picnic at a beach in Linamon and were heading home to Magsaysay town when an unknown number of gunmen attacked the civilians.[103] | December 18 | 3 | ~45 | Improvised Explosive Device | Iligan City, Northern MindanaoTwin blasts, in separate upscale malls in the main financial district in Aguinaldo Street in Iligan City, kill up to 3 people and hospitalize at least forty-five more.[104] Two crude, improvised bombs placed in bags exploded and damaged the Unicity Commercial Center at approximately 1:30 p.m. and the nearby Jerry's Shoppers Plaza around 5 to 20 minutes later.[104][105] The mall blasts occurred a day before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had a scheduled visit to the city, her maternal hometown. At least three people were also wounded in the bombings of two budget hotels - the Traveler's Inn and the Caprice Lodge – in Iligan City the month prior.[104] |
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2009
Date | Dead | Injured | Modusoperandi | Location and description | February 16 | 0 | 5 | Improvised Explosive Device | Maitum, SOCCSKSARGENAn improvised explosive device detonated in front of a government building housing a gymnasium in Maitum, injuring five people.[106] | March 4 | 0 | 4 | Improvised Explosive Device | Cotabato, SOCCSKSARGENAn improvised explosive device exploded at a hostel in Cotabato popular with foreign tourists, damaging four rooms and injuring two people.[107] | April 4 | 2 | 8+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Isabela City, Zamboanga PeninsulaA blast near a popular fastfood chain in Isabela City kills two people and wounds eight others. The explosion, about 100 metres from a Roman Catholic cathedral and a popular fastfood chain, was believed to have been caused by a crude bomb. "Most of the victims were waiting for a ride home near the restaurant", stated a police spokesman, adding no one had claimed responsibility for the attack.[108] | April 26 | 1 | 3+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Lebak, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb exploded at a popular Lebak town beach resort in the province of Sultan Kudarat. One person died in the blast and at least three others were injured.[109] | May 21 | 3 | 5 | Small arms fire | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaThree civilians were killed and five others wounded after unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle or motorcycles ambushed their truck shortly before 3 p.m. in Victoria village, east of Zamboanga City.[110] | June 3 | 2 | 4+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Cotabato, SOCCSKSARGENAn unarmed Filipino soldier and a civilian were killed in an explosion that also injured four unarmed soldiers outside Cotabato City.[111] | July 5 | 6 | 45+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Main article: July 2009 Mindanao bombingsA bomb exploded at approximately 8:50 a.m. in Cotabato City near a lechón food stall across the street from the Roman CatholicCathedral of the Immaculate Conception during Sunday Mass as a military truck drove by,[112][113] killing five people and injuring up to 55 more.[114] The dead included at least one member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit[112] a street food vendor, and a three-year-old boy.[113] Five soldiers were injured in the explosion.[113] A sixth victim, an injured infant, died later in hospital.[115]According to a Philippine Army spokesman the bomb consisted of a mortar shell and was detonated remotely by mobile phone.[113]Witnesses reported that the cathedral did not sustain significant damage.[116] The military laid the blame for the bombing on rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,[112][117] however, the group denied that they carried out the attack.[117] The attack drew condemnation from the Roman Catholic Church, including from Pope Benedict XVI, Philippine government officials, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.[112][118][119] | July 7 | 6 | 40+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Main article: July 2009 Mindanao bombingsIn Jolo on the island of Sulu,[120] an improvised explosive device (IED) placed "inside" a motorcycle detonated in downtown Jolo at 7:55 a.m. outside a hardware store, killing six people.[120] The store's owner was one of the fatalities. Approximately 40 people were injured in the explosion.[115][120] It exploded about 100 metres (330 ft)[120] from the Mount Carmel Church[121] and, according to the authorities, police discovered two other unexploded devices within a similar radius around the church.[120] | July 7 | 0 | 7+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Main article: July 2009 Mindanao bombingsApproximately two to three hours after the blast in Jolo,[115][120] a bomb exploded in Iligan City on Mindanao in a car parked near a pawnshop, injuring between seven and thirteen people (including up to three soldiers),[115] but causing no deaths.[115] The bomb exploded next to a Philippine Army "mini-cruiser". | September 29 | 3 | 2 | Improvised Explosive Device | Sulu, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA roadside bomb in the hinterlands of the Sulu province killed two US Navy members and a Philippine Marines soldier, two other Filipino troops were injured.[122] | October 20 | 1 | 21+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Marawi City, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA man died and 21 others were injured after a bomb planted inside the city hall in Marawi exploded. The blast happened during a voter registration at the Marawi City hall.[123] | December 5 | 1 | 5 | Improvised Explosive Device | Sulu, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA cell-phone triggered improvised bomb explosion leveled a police station in Jolo, Sulu and greatly damaged a municipal jail, killing one and injuring 5.[124] |
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2010
Date | Dead | Injured | Modus operandi | Location and description | January 21 | 0 | 1 | Improvised explosive device | Lamitan City, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoIn Lamitan City, suspected Abu Sayyaf militants detonated a bomb near the house of a Basilan province mayor, injuring one teenager.[125] | February 27 | 1 | 4+ | Improvised explosive device | Parang, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA 12-year-old boy is killed as an IED detonates under the van of Rajamuda Kasim, a candidate for councillor in the town of Parang, Maguindanao. At least 4 others were injured.[126] | February 27 | 12 | 17 | Small arms andGrenade/RPGfire | Tubigan, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoSuspected al-Qaida-linked militants attack a village in Maluso during a pre-dawn raid, killing 12 people including four young children.[127] About 70 gunmen linked to the extremist Abu Sayyaf group fired grenade launchers and automatic rifles on houses, and torched others while residents were sleeping, killing one government-armed militiaman and 10 civilians in the village of Tubigan on the island of Basilan.[128][129]The regional health chief confirmed to the Associated Press that seventeen people were wounded in the attack, with nine in a critical condition, including four children.[129] Several of those critically wounded died later in Zamboanga City hospitals.[130]The attack followed the killing of an Abu Sayyaf commander and the arrest of two key members and government forces had been warned to be on alert for reprisal attacks.[128] Lieutenant General Ben Dolorfino, chief of the military's Western Mindanao Command, indicated that a clan war was the apparent motive in the killings and the attack had been motivated by a personal grudge with the village chairman.[127][129] | March 15 | 1 | 2+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Davao City, DavaoA soldier dies after a military truck was bombed by suspected New People's Army guerrillas in Davao City. A truck carrying members of the Philippine Army was bombed while cruising along a road in the Paquibato district around 2:50 p.m. Two soldiers were also hurt and evacuated to Davao Medical Center.[131] | March 20 | 4 | 5 | Improvised Explosive Device | Antipolo City, CALABARZONFour policemen are killed and five others were wounded in an ambush by leftist rebels in the northern city of Antipolo. A team from the Philippine National Police Special Action Force were aboard their vehicle when suspected New People's Army rebels detonated a land mine at San Jose village in Antipolo City around 6 am.[132] | April 12 | 14 | many | Improvised Explosive Devices / Small arms and grenade/RPG fire | Isabela City, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoAt least 25 suspected Abu Sayyaf militants wearing police and military camouflage uniforms set off two bombs in Isabela City and open fire on other bystanders, killing three Marines, a policeman and six civilians and wounding a large number of others.[133]The first bomb detonated inside a van about 10:30 am outside an education department building and opposite a sports stadium. The second, rigged to a motorcycle left near a Roman Catholic church, exploded minutes later and heavily damaged the building.[134]The bombings ignited gun battles around the city between rebels and security forces, with the militants allegedly targeting helpless civilians seeking cover. A civilian was briefly held hostage while some militants fled and third bomb placed near a judge's house opposite a bus terminal was safely detonated later by soldiers.[135] The city mayor, Cherry Akbar, stated almost all of the 14 fatalities were caused by small arms fire, including at least four militants, one of whom apparently perished in the first blast. Two injured suspects were arrested after the attack and interrogated, giving an account that they had been hired.[133] | June 23 | 4 | 6 | Small armsfire / Machete | Maluso, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoFour civilians died and six were wounded in an afternoon attack by about 30 hooded attackers on a commuter jeep going home from Basilan's capital of Isabela City, through the township of Maluso.[136][137]The attackers, believed to be Abu Sayyaf militants, fired from a hill with rifles onto the jeepney, killing two passengers instantly. Other commuters were struck and killed by bullets as they tried to flee, stated police chief for the island province of Basilan, Antonio Mendoza, who also confirmed a 10-year-old boy that survived the attack had been struck repeatedly by a machete. The al-Qaeda linked militants may have staged the attack to divert government troops from a weeklong offensive in a nearby town.[136] | August 5 | 2 | 23 | Improvised Explosive Device | Zamboanga City, Zamboanga PeninsulaA bomb explodes in a suitcase carried by a respected individual of the Zamboanga Christian community outside the terminal of Zamboanga International Airport, killing the carrier and a passer-by and wounding at least 24 others with shrapnel, including an elderly British man who lived in the area.[138] As suicide bombings have not been known to happen before in the Philippines, police were investigating the theory that the suspected bomber was not a suicide bomber in the usual sense, but a proxy who may not have known he was carrying a remotely detonated weapon.[139]The Governor of Sulu, Sakur Tan, stated that the bomb may have been intended for him as he arrived from Manila, however Army officers believe the attack had been linked to the U.S. ambassador's visit to Zamboanga, scheduled for August 6 and cancelled for security reasons.[138] | August 28 | 5 | unknown | Small arms fire | San Pascual (Masbate), Bicol RegionA municipal counselor and four others, including two teenagers, were shot and killed in an ambush by at least 10 members of an unidentified armed group at Bolod village in San Pascual, Masbate. The victims were identified as municipal counselor Wenceslao Sinagpulo Jr., Baptist church Pastor Rolito Aragaon, driver Rael Ponte and high school students Ronnie Orcales and Raffy Francisco. The town councilor Wenceslao Sinagpulo Jr. and the other four victims died at the scene after their vehicle was ambushed by unknown assailants at around 2:30 p.m. as they travelled towards Mapanique village. Masbate Representative Narciso Bravo declared that the killing was politically motivated, however no group has claimed responsibility.[140] | October 21 | 10 | 9+ | Improvised Explosive Device | Matalam, SOCCSKSARGENTen people, including a bus conductor, die in a blast on board a bus travelling on a highway outside Matalam township of North Cotabato. The bus is thought to have had 60 passengers aboard when the explosion happened, killing eight people at the scene and critically wounding six others, 2 mortally.[141][142]The bomb is believed to have been hidden inside a bag, placed in a luggage compartment at the rear of the bus, and detonated soon after a group of men who were suspected to have planted it exited the vehicle. An ordnance team stated it appeared to have been an 81 mm mortar round that was remotely detonated using mobile phones.[143]A previous bus bombing in the vicinity of Matalam, in 2007, was attributed to the al-Khobar group, a gang of former Muslim insurgents that had taken to extortion. They are the prime suspects in the 2010 attack as the bus company involved in the bombing had been targeted for extortion in the past. | November 15 | 1 | 2 | Improvised Explosive Device | Carmen, SOCCSKSARGENA bomb explodes at a passenger bus terminal in the North Cotabato province's Carmen township, killing one person and wounding two others. The explosion at the station occurred near an outer fence, wounding two people on a bus and one standing nearby. The 17-year-old male bystander was critically wounded and later died at a hospital.[144] | December 15 | 2 | 1+ | Small arms fire | Las Navas, Eastern VisayasTwo civilians were killed, one of them a 15-year-old boy and the other a former barangay chairman of Brgy. Poponton, in the ambush on a pump boat along Hinaga River in the Northern Samar town of Las Navas. Five soldiers and a civilian were reported missing as a result of the ambush carried out with automatic weapons at around 5 pm that left the civilian vessel heavily damaged. The attack was believed to have been committed by an undetermined number of NPA rebels who were said to be hiding along the forested area of the Hinaga River.[145] | December 25 | 0 | 11+ | Improvised explosive device | Jolo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoA bomb explodes during Christmas Day Mass at a chapel inside a police camp, wounding a priest and 10 churchgoers, all of whom were civilians. The device was hidden in a ventilation window near the ceiling of the chapel, inside the compound where the provincial police office is located in Jolo town on Jolo Island. Investigators recovered parts of a cell phone they believe detonated the device.[146] Pope Benedict XVIcondemned the attack as what he called "absurd violence" against Christians.[147] |
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2011
Date | Dead | Injured | Modusoperandi | Location and description | January 25 | 5 | 13 | Improvised Explosive Device | Makati City, Metro ManilaA bomb explodes on board a Newman Goldliner bus at the corner of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and Buendia avenue in Makati, Manila, killing five and wounding thirteen more.[148] Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo stated preliminary findings showed the weapon used an 81mmmortar with a timing device triggered by mobile phone, similar to bombs detonated in Mindanao at the time. Police believe the device, which blew a hole in the side of the bus, was placed under a seat halfway down the vehicle carrying about 30 commuters at the time of the blast.[149] | March 9 | 4 | 10 | Improvised Explosive Device | Jolo, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoFour people are killed, mostly rickshaw drivers waiting for commuters, when a powerful blast, believed to be from an improvised bomb, detonated outside a San Raymundo village primary school in Jolo. The school was empty at the time of the blast that severely damaged the school building.[150] Local military Chief Brigadier General Romeo Tanalgo released the names of those killed, revising down the figure of five fatalities to only two people who were killed at the scene and another two who died in hospital.[151] At least ten others were wounded, three seriously.[152] | March 26 | 3 | 1 | Small arms and grenade fire | Tampakan, SOCCSKSARGENThree construction workers are killed and another wounded in an attack staged by leftist rebels in the ore rich township of Tampakan. Ten gunmen, believed New Peoples Army rebels, ambushed a convoy of five trucks at around 1:30pm with small arms and grenades in the village of Danlag, Cotabato.[153] | April 4 | 11 | 3+ | Automatic weapons fire / small arms fire / RPG fire | Mangudadatu, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoUp to 11 people, including relatives of Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, and a Moro rebel were killed in a confrontation related to a dispute over a fishing ground in the province. Mangudadatu stated local officials, joined by 150 supporters, were inspecting a road project near Lake Buluan in Mangudadatu town, around 8:20 a.m. when suspected Moro rebels fired upon the gathered crowd. Eight of his supporters died at the scene of the attack while three others were transported to hospital with mortal injuries. Mangudadatu's wife, relatives and other supporters were murdered, along with 32 journalists and staff in a 2009 massacre in Maguindanao.[154] A civil-military relations officer confirmed the victims were to inspect a road project in Barangay Tenuk in Mangudadatu town at 3 p.m. when the gunmen, positioned on one side of the road, opened fire with assault rifles and B-40 anti-tank rockets.[155]The Philippine military reported approximately 100 Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels took part in Sunday's attack, and at least one was identified as being killed during the fighting. Numerous residents fled their homes and Army troops took positions between the two sides in an attempt to pacify them and prevent new clashes, said military spokesman Colonel Prudencio Asto, spokesman for the Army's 6th Division.[154] Col. Asto, confirmed that the violence stemmed from a clash between MILF troops led by Salendab and supporters of the Mangudadatus, who are locked in a two-decade-old "rido" or clan war with the Mangudadatus, apparently over control of strategic tracts of land in three adjoining Maguindanao towns.[155] | April 6 | 3 | 1+ | Small arms fire | Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga PeninsulaA couple and a marshall on board a bus are killed and other passengers are robbed by four gunmen who later torched the vehicle. The gunmen, who were posing as passengers, fired on the two bus marshalls, killing one and wounding the other. An army major, who tried to draw his weapon in defence, and the army major's wife were also fatally wounded.[156] | June 26 | 2 | 15 | Improvised Explosive Device | Isabela City, Autonomous Region of Muslim MindanaoTwo people are killed and 15 wounded in dual bomb blasts, one outside a canteen near a Catholic church and the second near the Commission on Audit building in the North Cotabato region. Provincial police say improvised explosive devices were used in both incidents.[157][158] | August 2 | 2 | 9 | Improvised Explosive Device | Two people are killed and 9 wounded in a bomb blast.[159] |

CURRENT SITUATION:
The southern Philippines have long been a breeding ground for terrorist activity. Militant organizations like the Abu Sayyaf Group and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) operate in the Sulu archipelago and easternmost island of Mindanao, where a rugged terrain, weak rule of law, sense of grievance among the country's Muslim minority, and poverty make it difficult for the government to root them out.
In recent years, the Philippine government has made significant progress in combating terrorism, due in part to counterterrorism aid provided by the United States. But experts are concerned by what appears to be increasing cooperation among the Abu Sayyaf Group, several major MILF commands, and elements of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. Counterterrorism progress in the region remains difficult, and the Philippines remains vulnerable to penetration by extremist networks like al-Qaeda.
The U.S. State Department has considered the southern Philippines a "terrorist safe haven" since the classification was created in 2006. According to the State Department's 2008 report, the Philippine government has little control in the Sulu archipelago and the island of Mindanao. The government has also had trouble combating resentment among the local Muslim minority regarding policies of the central government. As a result, the Philippines is home to a number of militant groups, including the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army, Jemaah Islamiyah, the Alex Boncayao Brigade, the Pentagon Gang, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
These groups have conducted over one-hundred attacks within the Philippines since 2004, the largest of which was a ferry bombing that killed 130 people. The Philippine government has taken significant steps to combat terrorism, but terrorists continue to use the country as a base to organize, raise funds, train, and operate.
The State Department has identified the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples Army, and Jemaah Islamiyah as terrorist organizations that are active in the Philippines. The Alex Boncayao Brigade-which splintered from the Filipino communist movement-and the Pentagon Gang-which was created by former members of the MNLF-have also been on the U.S. Terrorist Exclusion List since 2001, though their influence appears to be waning.
The Rajah Solaiman Movement, whose membership consists of Filipino Muslim converts, has also been cited by the U.S. State Department as an established insurgent group in the Southern Philippines. The United States Institute of Peace, a nonpartisan institution funded by the U.S. Congress, is also involved in negotiations between the Philippine government and MILF.
According a 2007 report from the Congressional Research Service, two more militant groups are worthy of attention: the MILF and the MNLF. The State Department has not classified either as a terrorist organization, but both groups have agitated against the Philippine government for thirty years.
In 1996, the MLNF signed a peace treaty with Manila, which granted limited autonomy to four Mindanao provinces. The MILF has become the stronger of the two groups, with an estimated armed strength of 10,000 and alleged ties to both Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf. There is currently a cease-fire between MILF and the Philippine government, and negotiations for a final settlement are ongoing in Malaysia.
ASSESSMENT:
Middle Eastern terrorist carry out their act in pursuit of their ideology (jihad) while in the Philippines, groups such as the Abu Sayaff and the Raja Soliman Group resorts to kidnapping and banditry in the guise of Holy war while in reality, they are no more than lawless elements who made a cottage industry out of kidnapping. Until now we have not seen a fanatic who will kill himself for his ideology.
CONCLUSION:
Let us not be too complacent in our present situation, although we have yet to see a human bomb or suicide bomber, it is not farfetched. Islamic extremist are active in recruiting and propagating there ideology. In truth terrorist threats cannot be addressed by the Militar or law enforcement authorities alone. Terrorist threats are deeply rooted in many complex issues that are beyond the capacities of law enforcement authorities.
RECOMMENDATION:

* Strengthen intelligence gathering and monitoring

* The government should focus measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism * Prepare and study measure to prevent and combat terrorism

* Build measures to ensure respects for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism