Cross Chief Richard Gordon said that a motorcycle loaded with an improvised explosive device exploded near a military truck. Political and societal significance The Moros are geographically concentrated in the Southwest of the Philippines. Moros identify mostly with the majority Muslim nations of Indonesia and Malaysia because of their geographic proximity, and linguistic and cultural similarities. Moros have faced encroachments from the Spanish, Americans and now face the national Philippine government. Thus, the struggle for the Moro independent state has existed for over 400 years. Jolo has been the center of this conflict. Between 1972 and 1976, Jolo was the center of the Muslim Separatist Rebellion between the Muslim militants and the Marcos regime which killed 120,000 people. In 1974, fighting broke out when the government troops stopped the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) from taking over the town. Currently, the Moro National Liberation Front is the ruling party of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). In 1996, the MNLF was granted leadership of the ARMM in response to the calls for Muslim autonomy. Abdusakur Tan is the governor of Sulu and Kerkhar Tan is the mayor of Jolo. Politicians in these regions rose to power with the help of clan connections. See also Battle of Jolo (1974) References External links Jolo Profile at PhilAtlas.com [ Philippine Standard Geographic Code] Jolo Profile at the DTI Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index Philippine Census Information Local Governance Performance Management System Municipalities of Sulu Provincial capitals of the Philippines