By JOSEPH ARNEL DELIVERIO
Sibugay Express
IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay.–A bomb exploded in front of radio station Magic 103 FM in Barangay Kitabog, Titay town, this province, early Monday evening.
The station, which is owned by Sibugay governor George T. Hofer, is about 20 meters away from his residence.
Wounded in the blast was Nestor Abando, 46, who was aboard a multi-cab passenger vehicle passing by the area when the bomb exploded around 6:45 p.m.
Abando sustained superficial shrapnel wounds on his back.
Witnesses say two men riding a colored yellow XRM Honda motorcycle stopped along the highway in front of the station. The passenger then got off and lobbed what could be a grenade at the station.
Initial investigation by a team from the Philippine National Police’s Scene of the Crime Operatives and the Philippine Army’s Explosives and Ordnance Division of the Army revealed that the device used could have been either an improvised explosive or a fragmentation grenade based on the ground impact of the blast.
Station Manager Kim Porras, who was inside the station when the explosion occurred, said the motive behind the bombing could be retaliation for the political commentaries of the station’s blocktimers.
He, too, admitted having received subtle threats though text messages warning him, “Hinay-hinay lang (take it slowly).”
The blast happened minutes after Porras’ radio program ended.
Hofer, whose term ends in June 2010, is running for mayor of Ipil against incumbent Mayor Eldwin Alibutdan.
Hofer’s daughter and incumbent second district congresswoman Ann Hofer is running for governor while his son Jet is running for congress. Ann and Jet Hofer are running against Rommel and John-john Jalosjos, respectively.