'President Gloria Arroyo (left) was advised by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) commanders on the ground not to push through with the visit in Cotabato due to recent bombing attacks in Mindanao,' Mr Dureza said. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
MANILA - A SPATE of bombings has forced Philippine President Gloria Arroyo to cancel a trip to the troubled southern island of Mindanao, her spokesmen said on Friday.
Presidential spokesman Jesus Dureza said Arroyo called off the visit on the advice of military commanders. She had been scheduled to meet farmers in Cotabato City and in the nearby province of Sultan Kudarat on Friday.
'President Gloria Arroyo was advised by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) commanders on the ground not to push through with the visit in Cotabato due to recent bombing attacks in Mindanao,' Mr Dureza said.
A homemade bomb exploded at a busy junction on the outskirts of Cotabato City on Thursday, the latest in a series of similar incidents on the island in recent weeks.
The southern Philippines has also been rocked by renewed fighting between government forces and Muslim extremist groups such as the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf. -- AFP
