NEWSFLASH

BASILAN PRAYER RALLY BOMBED
(from the Daily Inquirer byJulie Alipala-Inot)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 1, 1999 - Suspected religious extremists hurled a grenade at a Christian prayer rally in Maluso, Basilan, on Tuesday, killing a woman and seriously injuring nine other people, the military said here yesterday.

About 100 members of the Jesus Miracle Crusade were praying at the Upper Port Holland Elementary School in Maluso town at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday night when the grenade was thrown into their midst, Southcom spokesperson Lt. Col. Ricardo Morales said.

The grenade thrower escaped and no group has claimed responsibility.

Police investigators said they suspected the attack was carried out by the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim fundamentalist group blamed for a spate of bombings in Mindanao in recent years.

Basilan police Chief Supt. Ernanito Baul said the attack may have been in retaliation for the killing of two Abu Sayyaf guerrillas last week by government forces pursuing the kidnappers of two Belgian nationals.

Another possible motive for the attack was the Abu Sayyaf's opposition to Christian missionary work in Muslim areas, Baul said.

''We are looking into these two most likely angles,'' he said.

Morales could not be sure, however, that it was the work of the Abu Sayyaf group. ''I'm sure the Abu Sayyaf group will be very glad to claim responsibility for this but we will work on solid evidence,'' Morales said.

He added: ''If we look at historical examples, it has a similar pattern as the MV Doulos bombing. [The MV Doulos was a foreign ship carrying foreign evangelists which was bombed inside the Philippine Ports Authority compound in Zamboanga City in August 1991.] If pattern applies to this case, then possibly one very strong theory is that this is the work of religious extremists.''

Morales cautioned, however, against magnifying the incident into a Muslim-Christian conflict.

''We think that this is an isolated incident . . . so it will depend on how the political leadership of Maluso and Basilan will treat the situation. I think it's important to reassure the population that this is an isolated incident,'' Morales said.

''This could have been the act of a single individual who could not tolerate the rituals of another group. The question here is tolerance. It's not religious strife,'' Morales said.

Baul identified the injured as Artemia Alanani, 53; Linda Cartipo; Connie Alanano, 31; Elvira Sindap, 26; Estelita Bisebilla, 36, all from Maluso, Basilan, and Haidee Molijon, 22; Rubilyn Ernacio, 18; Merilyn Remildo, 35 and Arnold Bongallon, 49, of Zamboanga City, who was reported in serious condition.

They were all brought to the Basilan Community Hospital in Isabela for treatment. Julie Alipala-Inot with reports from Hernan P. de la Cruz, PDI Mindanao Bureau, and Reuters and AFP July 1, 1999

Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi