Bombs away!

October exploded – both literally and figuratively – as a string of bombing incidents rocked Metro Manila and Southern Mindanao, and as tragic news about the Philippines filled CNN and Japanese newspapers.

The month’s cascade of bombings began on October 2 with an explosion near a military depot in Zamboanga City that killed three Filipinos and a US soldier engaged in counter-terrorism training. Eight days later, a bus depot exploded in Kidapawan, killing six. On October 17, two bombs ripped through adjacent shopping centers in Zamboanga, killing at least five and wounding 144 others. The following day, a bomb blast ripped through a bus on EDSA near the Balintawak area of Quezon City killing two persons and injuring 20. And on October 20, around 16 people were killed, including a Marine guard, while at least 17 were injured when a bomb exploded outside a Roman Catholic shrine in Zamboanga City.

As of press time, no arrests have been made, while manhunts against suspected foreign terrorists continue. Military intelligence point to Muklis Yunos, an explosives expert trained in Afghanistan and a member of the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Others say that the bandit group Abu Sayyaf perpetrated these senseless killings.

While investigations and arrests move at a snail’s pace, there is no certainty, however, that the culprits will face justice even if caught. To cite an example, the deadly bombing on April 21 that killed 15 people and wounded 60 others in General Santos City resulted in the arrest of the main suspect, Abdul Basit Usman. However, on October 23, he bolted jail, causing the prompt dismissal of the inept police commander of Sarangani province. Usman is reportedly an Abu Sayyaf demolition man trained in Indonesia.

In the meantime, as these criminals roam the streets, the common man is obviously living in fear. Bomb threats are commonplace, causing panic and paranoia among residents. More intense searches are made in public utilities, shopping malls, and even on buses. And mind you, notorious kidnapping gangs and drug lords are not yet in this equation.

The Arroyo administration, on the other hand, is widely perceived to have lost the moral grip on power and the necessary credibility to pull the nation through. Her approval ratings have plunged amidst the bungling of law enforcement agencies.

So as Filipinos in Japan view their country from afar, the ultimate question emerges amidst the bomb blasts and rubble.

Is there still a reason to come home? *

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