Philippines gym blast kills 12
From CNN's Judith Torres in Manila
MANILA, Philippines (CNN) -- A bomb exploded near a gymnasium in the southern Philippines Sunday afternoon, killing 12 people and wounding 30 others -- including the town's mayor -- according to a national police spokesman.
Philippine authorities believe the bombing was politically motivated.
Bataga Vivencio, the mayor of Parang, suffered minor injuries in the blast and had to undergo surgery for shrapnel wounds. He had made a speech shortly before the basketball game began.
There have been several attempts on Vivencio's life in the six years he has served as the town's mayor. Vivencio, a Christian mayor in the predominantly Muslim region, is expected to run for re-election in May.
The improvised explosive device (IED) detonated around 4:30 p.m. (3:30 a.m. ET) near the gym, where a basketball game was in progress, the spokesman said.
The wounded were evacuated to hospitals in the nearby city of Cotabato.
Witnesses said the IED was planted on a motorcycle, parked outside the gym.
The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia, but its southern islands are home to many Muslims, as well as Muslim insurgent groups who have been fighting the government for decades.
