At least 12 people have been killed and more than 40 wounded after an improvised explosive device went off during a town festival in the southern Philippines, according to army and police officials.
Federico Dulay, police chief of North Cotabato province, said a homemade bomb, fashioned from a mortar round, exploded at around 8pm (1200 GMT) near a packed gymnasium in Makilala town, which was celebrating its 52nd anniversary.
'We are still investigating the incident...we are not ruling out anything, including a terrorist attack', Mr Dulay told reporters.
Earlier today, a powerful blast ripped through a public market in another town on the southern island of Mindanao, wounding four people.
