President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines vowed to bring the perpetrators of recent bombings in the country to justice - 2002-10-18

President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines vowed to bring the perpetrators of recent bombings in the country to justice - 2002-10-18. In the Philippines, security and judicial officials are investigating an explosion that occurred on Friday evening in an area near Manila, which destroyed a bus. This explosion, which resulted in at least three deaths and more than 20 injuries, is the latest event in a series of bombings in a country fighting Islamic radicals linked to Al-Qaeda. Police officials say they fear the death toll may rise. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for this explosion or a similar incident that occurred on Thursday. However, suspicion is focused on the extremist Islamic group Abu Sayyaf, which is linked to Al-Qaeda. The explosion on Thursday in the city of Zamboanga in southern Philippines left 7 dead and 150 injured. In the latest news, President Gloria Arroyo vowed to bring the perpetrators of the recent bombings to justice. Ms. Arroyo stated that the police will increase security measures in the capital. She urged the 80 million Filipino compatriots to remain calm and not to allow terrorists to disrupt their normal lives. Today, the Philippine government held security discussions with local officials in Manila following a series of bombings over the past three days across the country. Cabinet members met with police and municipal officials in Manila at the presidential palace, but no details of this meeting have been released. In the latest bombing on Friday in Manila, a bus exploded, killing 2 and injuring more than 20. The Philippine police announced that a senior member of the Abu Sayyaf group was arrested on charges of 21 counts of kidnapping.