Military pursues group responsible for Lamitan-checkpoint bombing

The Philippine military was conducting operations in Basilan province to capture the group behind Tuesday's Lamitan City bombing which killed 10 people, GMA News TV program "State of the Nation with Jessis Soho" reported on Friday.

West Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega explained that they were also making sure that terror groups would be unable stage more attacks in other municipalities in Basilan and in major cities in the ZamBaSulTa area.

The police and military were thus on high alert in Zamboanga, with more security checkpoints erected even in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, National Defense Undersecretary and Task Force Balik-Loob Chairperson Reynaldo Mapagu speculated that the Lamitan bombing could have been staged to prevent more Abu Sayyaf gunmen from surrendering.

"Of course, there will always be show-stoppers... lalo na kapag maganda ang programa ng gobyerno," explained Mapagu. "Doon kasi sila ng thra-thrive sa mga terrorist activities nila.

"Kasi ang aim nila is to disrupt normalcy in our daily lives." — Jessica Bartolome/DVM, GMA News