Philippines hit by three blasts

[theHandpuppet]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4264227.stm
Last Updated: Monday, 14 February, 2005, 14:02 GMT


Philippines hit by three blasts
The Manila blast hit the Makati financial district


At least six people have died and dozens have been injured after a trio of bombings in the Philippines.

A bus is reported to have exploded in central Manila, shortly after two other blasts in the south of the country.

The separatist group Abu Sayyaf, which is currently fighting soldiers on the island of Jolo, said it was responsible for at least two of the blasts.

A rebel spokesman reportedly told local radio the attacks were a "Valentine's gift" to President Gloria Arroyo.

MORE...

[candle_bright]

1. There seem to be

quite a few explosions today.

[Az_lefty]

2. There certainly are....bad way to start off the week

[bemildred]

3. Blasts rock Philippines

Explosions have rocked the central business district of the Philippine capital and two southern cities, killing at least 11 people and wounding nearly 20, police and witnesses said.

There was no immediate word on the cause of two of the three blasts but a police officer said Muslim separatists being pursued by soldiers on a southern island might be trying to create a diversion.

"There was a loud explosion. The ground was shaking. The people were screaming and running in all directions," said a witness in General Santos City.

Witnesses said the blast in General Santos City on Monday destroyed a parked motorcycle outside a shopping mall, killing three people.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/66CB8219-35CA-4E4B-86B8-2A3E8B54147D.htm

[Minstrel Boy]

4. Why is the US sheltering Davao City bomber Michael Meiring?

The Philippines has expressed its "concern" to the United States with respect to American national Michael Meiring. December 21st of last year, the chief of the Philippines' Department of Justice said regarding Meiring's bombing of the Evergreen Hotel in Davao City, "which clearly appears to be an act of terrorism, I am certain the US government will not tolerate this terrorist act." And recently Aquilino Pimentel, the Senate Minority Leader, reacting to reports of at least 70 American spies operating on the island of Mindanao, "warned the United States against taking advantage of its military presence and intelligence operations in the Philippines to engage in activities that may subvert the country’s sovereignty." Pimentel pointedly raised the Meiring case, saying the Philippine government should finally demand his extradition. "Arrogant FBI agents," says MindaNews, "spirited" Meiring out of the Davao Doctor's Hospital three days after the blast, in which he was critically injured.

Meiring passed himself off as a treasure hunter but a check with the Mines Bureau showed he was not accredited. Warrants of arrest had been issued as well as hold departure orders but Meiring managed to slip out of the country and fly back to the United States, accompanied by FBI special agents.

Meiring is known to currently reside in Los Angeles.

Could it be: the United States government, "harboring" a terrorist?

The Manila Times reported May 29, 2002 that Meiring

...had close ties to well-placed government authorities in southern Mindanao, national government officials and Philippine National Police…former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chairman Nur Misuari, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chief Hashim Salamat and suspected New People's Army (NPA) leader Father Navarro. Meiring also has close ties with "shady people" like MNLF Commander Tony Nasa and others in Cotabato who acted as "front men" for his dealings with the Abu Sayyaf.

I've written about Meiring on my blog several times:

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/01/exceptional-hypocrisy.html

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2005/01/you-will-find-my-power-then.html

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2004/12/davao-city-bomber-michael-meiring.html

http://rigorousintuition.blogspot.com/2004/10/michael-meiring-blast-from-past.html