MANILA—Philippine police detonated on Sunday a crude bomb planted near a petrol station on the troubled southern island of Mindanao, where Muslim guerrillas have been attacking army positions.
The deputy police chief of Midsayap town in Cotabato province blamed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's main Muslim rebel group, for the bomb.
The explosive was found inside a shoebox and was meant to be detonated by mobile phone.
"We're lucky because we got to the bomb before it could cause death and destruction," said Lucas Dicay.
"This might be part of a diversionary plan of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. We've monitored about 100 rebels massing outside the town, forcing hundreds of residents from two farming villages to flee from their homes."
The MILF is meant to be observing a ceasefire but some of its members attacked army positions last week in the provinces of Cotabato and Sarangani, killing one part-time soldier and his daughter. A rebel was also killed.
A MILF spokesman denied the organisation had anything to do with the bomb planted in Midsayap town.
"The MILF does not target civilian or non-military facilities," said Eid Kabalu.
He said commanders frustrated at the slow pace of peace talks were behind the recent attacks.
"We have been telling the government that we are having problems with some of our commanders. They are getting frustrated."
"But these attacks are not sanctioned by our leadership."
The MILF has been negotiating for over a decade for a homeland for Muslims in the south of the mainly Catholic country but the discussions have been stalled since December over constitutional issues.
The near 40-year conflict has killed 120,000 people and displaced 2 million.
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