December 28, 2003, Philippine Star, 'Sayyaf planted bombs to avenge Robot arrest', by Roel Pareño,

December 28, 2003, Philippine Star, 'Sayyaf planted bombs to avenge Robot arrest', by Roel Pareño,

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military believes that the extremist Abu Sayyaf planted the bombs found near the runway of the Jolo airport on Friday, to avenge the capture of its leader Ghalib Andang. 

A soldier was killed and another wounded when one of the crude bombs placed in a cardboard box went off as they were attempting to defuse it. 

President Arroyo said the public should not be "unduly alarmed" about the incident which she described as "isolated." 

"We will track down the perpetrators of this foiled bombing and step up our security measures nationwide," she said. 

Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko, chief of the Armed Forces' Southern Command, said the bomb could have been timed to go off with the arrival of a SEAIR flight at about 1:30 p.m. 

Thanks to vigilant civilians, the explosive was found 30 minutes before the plane’s arrival, on a road between the runway and the Department of Public Works and Highways office. 

"The police and our troops in the area cannot directly say if the plane was the target but the bomb was planted in an area (where it could hit) many victims," Kyamko said. 

"It could be an attack designed to avenge the arrest of Ghalib Andang," he added. 

Andang, widely known as Commander Robot, was captured last Dec. 7. He was believed responsible for kidnapping 21 mostly foreign tourists from the Malaysian resort of Sipadan in 2000. — With Marichu Villanueva