The Philippine Online Chronicles

An explosion occurred in Ampatuan town earlier this morning, marking the 2^nd anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre and the celebration of the International Day to End Impunity.

According to Maguindanao police head Superintendent, Marcelo Pintac the incident happened near a gas station shortly before 6 am, five kilometers from the site where the murders took place two years ago and where a monument was built in memory of the victims.

In an interview on dzBB radio, Pintac mentioned that there was no report of fatalities. He added that there were no sightings of men acting suspiciously in the area before the blast occurred, but that his team is still investigating the incident.

The Philippine Star reports that following the explosion of the improvised explosive device (IED), several other IEDs were discovered in the area and safely detonated by bomb experts.

“Two more homemade bombs were disrupted by members of the military bomb squad while seven more bombs were found in a corn field leading to the massacre site,” said Colonel Dong Yabu, commander of the Army’s 601st Brigade.

Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, whose wife and two sisters were among those slain in the massacre, was expected to lead a commemoration ceremony at the site before noon today. Among the expected guests was Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.

International Day to End Impunity

Today is also the celebration of the International Day to End Impunity, for which the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has been counting down to for a month.

Several media groups are expected to release a “Manifesto to End Impunity” to be published in national publications.

On November 23, 2009, 58 people, including 32 journalists were slain in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, in what has been considered to be the worst single day, elections-related violence in Philippine history, and the worst single attack on journalists in the world.

The event sparked international outrage and was blamed on prominent members of the powerful political clan, the Ampatuans.