Philippines Lives Destroyed - Human Rights Watch

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THE VICTIMS KORONADAL CITY MARKET BOMBING, MAY 10, 2003 At least 10 dead, 42 injured A few minutes past 3 p.m. on May 10, 2003, a bomb detonated at the city market in Koronadal, a small city in southern Mindanao. The bomb, placed near a taxi stand, killed or wounded dozens of rickshaw drivers and their passengers. At least 10 people were reported killed. Narissa Gragasin, who was at the market and lost her mother in the attack, said the bombing “turned everything upside down.” Other witnesses said human flesh and limbs were scattered among the debris from the market and the tricycle stand. Human Rights Watch interviewed Romeo Lumantas, one of the tricycle rickshaw drivers at the scene of the attack: I was sitting on my tricycle, waiting for customers, when the bomb went off, about 15 meters from me. I was thrown to the ground, and I was hit in the legs and in the right arm, with shrapnel. [Human Rights Watch observed serious scarring and tissue loss in Lumantas’ arm.] I had no idea what had happened. The next thing I know I was in the morgue, with dead people. They thought I was dead. I called out, “I’m alive! I’m alive!” Only then did they take me to a hospital. Romeo believes he saw the bomber leave the bomb in front of the market about an hour before the attack—although at the time he did not realize the object was a bomb. He saw a truck driver stop and unload a large gas canister and place it where the bomb detonation took place. Police officials later determined that the bomb had, in fact, been hidden inside a metal gas canister. Those killed included: Clarita Gragasin, 61, female Dominador Acosta, 40s, male Milagros Garcia, unknown age Romy Cristobal, 50s, male Sergio Parba, unknown age, male Alberto Dela Serna, unknown age, male Ronnie Bergosa, unknown age, male Rene Boy Ellama, unknown age, male Emmanuel Locsin, unknown age, male Luz Lazara, unknown age, male Exactly two months later, on July 10, 2003, another bomb detonated at the same market in Koronadal, killing three people and wounding another 25. The authorities later arrested several persons in connection with the Koronadal attacks, including suspected JI members from Indonesia, but as of June 2007 none had been charged. Romeo Lumantas, a tricycle rickshaw driver wounded in the May 2003 Koronadal bombing. © 2006 John Sifton/Human Rights Watch 10 Lives Destroyed
Estrellita Cristobal, the widow of Romy Cristobal, a tricycle rickshaw driver killed in the May 2003 bombing at Koronadal City market. © 2006 John Sifton/Human Rights Watch Mangled motor-tricycles at the site of the explosion. © 2003 Reuters/Allen Estabill Gloria Acosta, the widow of Dominador Acosta, a tricycle rickshaw driver killed in the Koronadal City market blast. © 2006 John Sifton/Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch 11
Page 1 and 2: July 2007 LIVES DESTROYED Attacks A
Page 3 and 4: July 2007 H U M A N R I G H T S W A
Page 5 and 6: BOMBINGS, KIDNAPPINGS, AND KILLINGS
Page 7 and 8: BALOBO KILLINGS IN BASILAN PROVINCE
Page 9 and 10: Those killed were: Mary Beth Eliver
Page 11: The Sasa Wharf bomb may have been m
Page 15 and 16: Jessa Aventurado, 12, Alex Briones
Page 17 and 18: Those killed in the Superferry bomb
Page 19 and 20: Marina told Human Rights Watch that
Page 21 and 22: Mark Gil Bigbig, severely injured i
Page 23 and 24: Human Rights Watch 21
Page 25 and 26: Coffins containing five of the seve
Page 27 and 28: Movement have stated their support
Page 29 and 30: • Jordan Abdullah and Jaybe Ofras
Page 31 and 32: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is bas

Philippines Lives Destroyed - Human Rights Watch

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