Bombings in Philippines threaten peace

MANILA, Philippines, July 10 (UPI) -- Recent deadly bombings on the island of Mindanao have threatened the already tenuous peace process in the Philippines, officials say.

Officials said the Mindanao bombings, which claimed the lives of eight people and left another 100 people hurt, have prompted a suspension of aid operations on the island by the United Nations, the Integrated Regional Information Networks said Friday.

"We want to take a step back to understand … why this is happening and because we are concerned for the safety of our staff," Alghassim Wurie, U.N. World Food Program deputy country director, said of the decision.

The recent bombings began Sunday with an explosion in the city of Cotabato and bombings in Iligan city and Jolo Island followed two days later.

The government has blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for the deadly attacks despite a lack of established evidence tying the rebel group to the incidents, IRIN reported.

Nonetheless, a spokeswoman for President Gloria Arroyo said the attacks significantly disrupted the government's attempts at peace in the Philippines.

"We cannot deny that these incidents might be a hindrance or might cause a delay for formal talks," spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said.