Zamboanga City
25 January 2015

President Benigno S. Aquino III inspected the blast site of a car bomb attack that rocked Barangay Guiwan in Zamboanga last Friday (23 January 2015) which killed two people and injured 52 others.

The President, together with his Cabinet members, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff General Gregorio Catapang, Jr. and Zamboanga City Police Director Senior Superintendent Angelito Casimiro, held a security briefing and inspected the blast site in Maria Clara Lorenzo Lobregat Highway, Barangay Guiwan.

Soon after the inspection, the President met with the families of Reynaldo Tan and Dennis Valiente, two victims who died from the blast. Each family received PhP5,000 cash assistance under the Department of Social and Welfare Development and a guarantee letter worth Php10,000 to cover the funeral bills.

He also met with other casualties of the bomb blast confined in five hospitals, conversing with them privately and handing each victims PhP5,000 cash assistance and a guarantee letter to cover their hospital bills.

President Aquino ended his visit with the inspection of the facilities of Zamboanga City Jail. The facility currently has a population of 1,496 inmates.

Joining the President were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

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