Blasts hit Mindanao again, 6 people dead, over 40 injured

MANILA, Philippines - Two separate bombings in Jolo and Iligan City on Tuesday morning killed six people and injured around 40 others, including state security personnel, officials said.

Philippine Marines commandant Maj. Gen. Ben Dolorfino said the first explosion occurred when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off at 7:55 a.m. Tuesday in Poblacion village in front of the Go Teck Leng Hardware along Sanchez Street in Jolo.

Roughly three hours after the explosion in Jolo, another IED went off in Iligan City, wounding seven people including two soldiers, police said.

The blasts were the latest in a fresh wave of bombings in the volatile southern Philippines. A ranking military official, however, expressed doubts whether the incidents were related.

On Sunday morning, an improvised explosive device (IED) planted at a lechon (roasted pig) house in front of the Immaculate Concepcion Cathedral in Cotabato City, killing five people and injuring 29 others.

The night before, another blast caused by a 60-millimeter mortar explosive in Barangay Buayan in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao province injured three people.

Sulu blast

Superintendent Jose Bayani Gucela, a public information officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for Western Mindanao, said the IED was placed "inside" a motorcycle parked about 100 meters away from a Catholic church in downtown Jolo where a Mass was just held.

Gucela said investigators likewise recovered two unexploded IEDs, each placed in a cardboard box also around 100 meters away from the church.

According to Gucela, the blast killed six people and wounded about 40 others. A sketchy report from Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) operations chief Superintendent Danilo Bacas said a policeman was among those hurt in the explosion.

Bacas said the Sulu cathedral is located across the street where the explosion occurred. "Nasa kabilang kalye po ang simbahan [pero] medyo malayo [The cathedral is located across the street but it is somewhat far (from the blast site)]."

Philippine Navy spokesperson Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said most of the wounded victims in the Jolo blast were in critical condition.

"Our initial report showed that a motorcycle parked near the store allegedly with wire connected on it was noticed, prompting concerned citizens to report the sightings to the police. An explosion followed just as policemen were responding to the information," Arevalo said in a text message to reporters.

Another in Iligan City

Northern Mindanao police director Chief Superintendent Danilo Empedrad said the Iligan City blast occurred at 10:50 a.m. along Sabayle Street near the city pier.

Initial reports said the IED was placed inside a vehicle parked right beside a mini-cruiser belonging to the Philippine Army, Empedrad said.

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First A(H1N1) Related Death In The Philippines

The Philippines confirms its initial A(H1N1) virus related death — 49-year-old woman who died from congestive heart failure but who also tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus.

This is the second recorded death in the Asia-Pacific region related to A(H1N1), following the death of a man in Australia on Friday.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the 49-year old female who is known to have a pre-existing chronic heart disease was also found to be positive for A (H1N1). He said that the patient presented with flu-like symptoms starting on June 17 consisting of dry cough, fever and chills and difficulty of breathing just before death on June 19.

“Given the available information, we cannot conclude that the death is due to A (H1N1). But in other countries which have reported A (H1N1) deaths, majority have pre-existing medical conditions. We condole with the family of the patient as we mourn her untimely death,’ Duque said.

Because of this first reported case of death in a patient with an incidental finding of A (H1N1) in the country, Duque said that the Department of Health will be more aggressive in targeting segments of patients with a high vulnerability to fatal flu complications saying that they should be the ones receiving the most care and attention by healthcare professionals.

“We want to make it clear that high-risk groups, once they have the flu symptoms, should immediately go to their doctor. They should not wait for their symptoms to worsen because they are prone to many infections other than the novel virus such as our seasonal flu strains. These are patients with uncontrolled diabetes, frank cardiovascular disease, COPD, organ transplant recipients, those who are immunocompromised, those with chronic liver and kidney disease, people suffering from other infections like HIV/AIDs and TB, pregnant women and the very young and the elderly,” Duque clarified.

Currently, the DOH is revising the interim guidelines in managing and treating A (H1N1) cases to guarantee that vulnerable populations are prioritised and receive immediately the appropriate modicum of care. This is in accordance with the Pandemic Alert Level 6 declaration of the World Health Organization which recommends to its member states to focus on managing cases, especially severe ones, rather than containment to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We would like to reemphasize that, globally and locally, the overwhelming majority of cases only experience mild symptoms and, eventually, make a rapid and full recovery, often even without any form of medical intervention,” Duque stressed.

“It is prudent for parents to seek professional care for children with rapid breathing, excessive drowsiness or dehydration. In adults, chest pain, prolonged fever or labored breathing should prompt warnings to see a doctor,” Duque reminded the public.

“We need to make sure that our resources are efficiently used and that they will give us the best outcomes by targeting people who are at risk for developing complications,’ Duque said. Meanwhile, Duque advised the public to continue heeding the recommendations of the DOH on proper handwashing, cough etiquette, and other hygiene practices.

“The best defense against A (H1N1) and other diseases is to boost your immune system. Most people can fight off this virus without special medications or hospitalization. You can stay at home and take supportive care like plenty of fluids, vitamins and bed rest,” Duque stressed.

Duque also disclosed that 35 more have fully recovered from the novel virus, thus bringing the total count of those who have fully recovered to 374. This number constitutes 84% of the total confirmed cases reported since May 21.

Duque also said that there are 17 more confirmed cases recorded today. These additional patients bring the total sum of confirmed cases to 445.

The new 17 cases involved 8 males and 9 females. The age range of these cases is 11-58 years old, with 19 as median age. Duque noted that 15 of these cases are Filipinos, while the remaining 2 are foreigners. He added that of 3 of these 17 cases have travelled to a country affected with A (H1N1). On the other hand, as of June 19, the World Health Organization reported 44,287 cases with 180 deaths from 90 reporting countries.