Three bombings in major cities in Mindanao the past two weeks have baffled police and local officials as to who could be behind the incident and what could be the motive. But peace advocates say its 2003 all over again.
A day before the Cotabato City bombing, Sittie Rajabia and her husband, Elson, were joking after hearing a United States government advisory of an Al Qaeda threat.
This Agusanon Manobo family sleeps off their exhaustion in Bankeohan Gym after riding eight hours to Davao City to seek refuge. Some 500 Manobos fled their village in Loreto, Agusan del Sur from military troops 24, and were not welcomed by their governor when they sought his help. (davaotoday.com photo by MEDEL V. HERNANI)
First District Councilor Atty. Melchor Quitain reads the Local Government Code during Tuesday’s City Council session to remind fellow councilors on the local government’s capacity to stop mining in the city. (davaotoday.com photo by MEDEL V. HERNANI)
Davao environmental advocates Juland Suazo (left) and Francis Morales (right) of Panalipdan listens to the city council deliberate on the proposal for a ‘no-mining zone’ in the city. (davaotoday.com photo by MEDEL V. HERNANI)