| Metro Shuttle bomber is a woman |
| Written by Eldie S. Aguirre | |
| Saturday, 26 July 2008 | |
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A woman could be the culprit behind the July 25 blast inside a Metro Shuttle Bus at the New Satellite Terminal in Barangay Aplaya, the police said.
The huge explosion at about 11:45 a.m. on Thursday ripped the left side of the ill fated bus bearing body number 176 and injured 35 people, mostly passengers and terminal vendors.
One of the victims, Zarah Fe Abellero, 20, a graduating student of computer technology at Cor Jesu College in Digos City died at dawn of Friday at Davao Medical Center.
Dr. Ricardo Audan, DMC spokesperson, said they are still treating some critically injured victims inside the hospital.
Chief Inspector Anthony Padua, Digos City police director said a task force will be zeroing on information that a woman carrying a bag boarded the Metro Shuttle Bus at Estrada Public Market and get off before it reaches the terminal leaving her luggage.
Estrada Public Market is about 3 kilometers to the New Satellite Terminal where the explosion occurred.
Senior Supt. Cesario Darantinao, Davao del Sur police director, said witnesses have provided police artists with a description of the suspect.
The woman is about 5’2” in height with fair complexion, was the initial description of the woman suspect.
The ill-fated bus is on its way to Davao City via Digos City from Bansalan, Davao del Sur.
The Metro Shuttle management admitted it has been receiving extortion demands from the group, which is also being blamed for similar attacks on other bus companies plying central and southern Mindanao such as the Weena Bus Line that experience more than 20 bombing incidents in the past.
Chief Supt. Andres Caro, Southern Mindanao police chief, described the bomb as a remotely-detonated improvised explosive device as post-blast investigators recovered fragments of a cellular phone at the blast site.
Caro said the bomb was meant to harm people as it was fitted into a mineral water PET bottle packed with iron nails.
He said the police suspect the bombing was the work of the al-Khobar extortion group, which has ties with the Jemaah Islamiyah.
Some observers said there is a need for the police and bus companies to strengthen its security measures as to deter more terrorist attacks in the future.
The police said bus companies must also heed with the agreement not to pick up passengers along the way to prevent sneaking of explosive materials inside their units.
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