DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 4 March)—Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has called on the national government to put “extra effort” in combating terrorism as the city government commemorated Monday the 21st anniversary of the Sasa Airport bombing.
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte during the commemoration of the Sasa Airport bombing on Monday (4 March 2024). MindaNews photo by IAN CARL ESPINOSA
Duterte led the commemoration of the bombing at Davao’s old airport terminal in Sasa (the terminal has since been transferred to the other side of the runway). Joining him were officials from the City Social Welfare and Development Office, authorities from Task Force Davao and Davao City Police Office, and victims of the bombing and their families.
Flowers were offered and candles lit at the bombing site.
The March 4, 2003 bombing claimed 22 lives and injured 145 people.
The incident also led to the creation of the Task Force Davao, which was mandated to prevent other incidents of the same nature.
During his speech, Duterte recalled in minute details how “brutal” the bombing was.
He then called on the national government anew to put “extra effort” on combating terrorism attempts and attacks not only in Davao Region, but throughout Mindanao.
The government blamed the bombing on the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group.
Duterte cited terrorist attacks like the bombing during a Catholic Mass at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi City December last year and soldiers who were killed recently in the mountains of Lanao del Norte.
Addressing the national government on terrorism, the mayor said: “Palihog lang ug naa moy extra effort lang gyud kay kami diri sa Mindanao, diri sa Davao, mao gyud na ang amoang pinakadili gusto, ginakalagotan, ginakagul-an (Please exert extra effort because we here in Mindanao, in Davao, terrorism is what we hate the most, what we are angry of, what we are being anxious of).”
Meanwhile, Duterte said the city government will always extend help to the victims even if it happened long ago. His father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, extended scholarships to children of the bombing victims during his time as mayor. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
