GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The 69th foundation anniversary and the 9th Kalilangan Festival of this city ended late Wednesday night with an explosion that left a person dead and four others slightly injured.

The fatality, known so far as "Glenn," was the suspected carrier of the explosive device that went off around 10:45 pm some 200 meters from where thousands of people were gathered at the oval plaza for the culmination of the Kalilangan festival, said Senior Supt. Robert Po, city police director.

Based on initial investigation, Mr. Po said the suspected bomb carrier could be a vendor who was supposedly asked to bring in the explosive inside a bag to the massive crowd but failed to get in because of the strict security.

People at the oval plaza did not notice or hear the explosion, thanks to the boisterous music from giant loudspeakers filling the air.

However, initial post blast investigation revealed that the improvised explosive device "was not designed to inflict maximum damage," Mr. Po added.

Mayor Pedro Acharon, Jr., rushed to the scene more than an hour after the explosion and also told reporters that the fatality could have been the bomb carrier.

"Because of the strict security measures our law enforcers implemented, he was not able to enter the crowd. Luckily, the [apparently] timed explosive device exploded while he was still in a not well–crowded place," the mayor told reporters.

So far, nobody also claimed responsibility for the explosion that could have killed many had the suspected bomb carrier was able to mix with the crowd.

Wednesday night's explosion was the second to hit this city, touted as the "Tuna Capital of the Philippines," in less than a month. Last January 30, a powerful blast outside the compound of the Philbest Canning Corp. killed four people and injured 27 others.

Authorities believed the attack on Philbest was not an "act of terrorism" since the tuna firm is located far from the heart of the city.

Kalilangan is from the Maguindanao word "kalilang" which means celebration. Each year, General Santos City celebrates February 27 to commemorate the landing of the city's founder, General Paulino Santos, along with the first settlers from Luzon, at the shores of Sarangani Bay. At the festival, contingents depicted the arrival on February 27, 1939 of 64 settlers and 17 employees of National Land Settlement Administration led by General Paulino Santos.

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