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ZAMBOANGA CITY: A grenade attack in the village of Ayala late Monday
afternoon wounded a boy and police is investigating the motive of
that attack. The rising criminalities here are worrying traders and
government officials.
Investigation showed that an unidentified
motorcycle gunman shot a shipping employee in the head as his
vehicle slowed down on a stop light near downtown Zamboanga.
A lawyer was also shot in the head inside a
church during a mass, sending worshipers scampering for safety. Just
last week, a university professor was also gunned down by
unidentified assailants near his house and previous killings remain
unsolved.
All these killings occurred despite a total gun
ban in Zamboanga City, but many hired killers also operate here and
this is aggravated by threats of terrorism and kidnappings.
Last month, two homemade bombs were detonated at
a Catholic cathedral and a commercial building here. Police blamed
the Abu Sayyaf group and the separatist rebel group, Moro Islamic
Liberation Front.
The United States, Canada, Australia and Britain
had previously warned their citizens not to travel to Zamboanga and
other parts of Mindanao because of threats of terrorism.
Mayor Celso Lobregat has assured the public that
Zamboanga City is safe and police said the killings were “isolated
cases” and mostly triggered by feuds.
-- Al Jacinto
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