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Southeast Asia | ||
Blast in Philippine capital region might be terrorist attack: official | ||
2007-10-19 | ||
The blast taking place in a shopping mall in the capital region of the Philippines Friday might be a terrorist attack, said a high-level security official of the country. "This is not an accident. We are looking into a possible terrorist attack," Norberto Gonzales, Philippine National Security Adviser told the media.
Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called for an emergency security meeting following the explosion and afterwards urged Filipinos to remain vigilant. "We urge all sectors to remain vigilant as the government steps up security measures to protect our people," she said in a statement.
The president also warned groups against exploiting the deadly blast for political gain. "I warn those who seek to exploit this incident to destabilize our government for their selfish political motives," she said. The blast occurred a week after the PNP revealed plans by Abu Sayyaf, an antigovernment Nevertheless, the PNP said that they cannot categorically say if the explosion was the handiwork of terrorists. | ||
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