Sinsuat Cotabato City, Bomb Explosion Target is Mayor Guiani and Sister
Sinsuat Cotabato City, Bomb Explosion Target is Mayor Guiani and Sister
A loud blast echoed along Sinsuat Avenue, Cotabato City on Monday afternoon, killing eight people including a cop and injures 30 victims, 13 of whom remain inside the hospital, the PhilStar reports.
City police chief Senior Superintendent Rolen Balquin said the Sinsuat bomb explosion occured around 4:15p.m along the busy Avenue which allegedly targeted the convoy of Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr. who was passing by. The blast site is less than 200 meters away from the Notre Dame Hospital and Cotabato Regional Medical Center.
According to ABS-CBN news, Mayor Japal Guiani was not in the bulletproof Chevrolet Suburban sport utility vehicle, which stalled about five meters away from a multicab where the improvised bomb was allegedly planted. The mayor’s sister Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi was inside the SUV but left unharmed. However, one of the police escorts riding a motorcycle, identified as SPO3 Malambuay, was instantly killed in the incident.
In a separate report, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Mujiv Hataman on Monday said the Sinsuat blast happened right in front of a commercial center in Cotabato City. "This is a residential-commercial area, with a lot of traffic," he said. The explosion was strong enough that it was heard from his office, which is about half-kilometer away. The Cotabato blast reportedly destroyed a multicab, Mitsubishi pickup truck, a light dump truck, and four motorcycles. The bomb explosion also triggered a blaze that engulfed 10 nearby houses including a funeral parlor and a tire repair shop.
Philstar news noted that some of the casualties of the bomb explosion were schoolchildren on their way home while majority of the fatalities were motorists passing through Sinsuat Avenue, the main highway in Cotabato where major commercial establishments are found. Injured victims were identified as Chief Inspector Abubakar Mangelen Jr., Adam Haron, Allan Carugna, Eduardo Malicdem, Ezekiel Almeroda, Lucas Hamsa, Liza Mangunda, Emelie Lu, Harris Unto, Datupeges Mampen, Erlina Dicaing, Alsaima Ulama, Salipudin Sindatok, Richie John Besanes, Edison Antonlin, Ivy John Olen, Ana Jane Esmael, Guimla Ali, Norhaya Abas, John Anthony Badrudin, Jowadi Salik, Nelsie Lasap, Eduardo Melgar, Omar Ali and Mama Manubuay. They are confined at the Cotabato Regional Hospital and Medical Center.
Central Mindanao Police director General Charles Calima Jr. identified the fatalities as:
Suyoph Jaji
Ahari Samsudin
Sungkala Satol
SPO4 Mama Manambuay
Jeddin Menak
Haris Unto
Nasrudin Guialel
Salahudin Sindato
Police believe that the explosive device was planted in a vehicle - either a motorcycle, a multicab or van - parked in front of the Villa Funeral Parlor near the corner of Maniara street and Sinsuat avenue during the afternoon rush hour, said Balquin. He also added that the authorities are still continuing their investigation to determine the type of explosive used. As of press time, no group has claimed responsible for the second bomb explosion that hit Mindanao. Ten days ago, a powerful blast struck a restaurant packed with doctors and pharmaceutical salesmen left eight people dead in the city of Cagayan de Oro.
Meanwhile, Malacañang Palace condemned the attack and vowed to hunt down the perpetrators and provide justice to the victims.
“We condemn the use of violence to kill and maim our countrymen who are peacefully going about their daily lives,” Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said. “We’ll hold accountable these criminals who terrorize our society.” He also urged authorities to improve security in the area.
Cotabato is a mixed Muslim-Catholic city on the main southern island of Mindanao, where Moro insurgents have been waging a rebellion for decades which has claimed 150,000 lives.-ABS-CBN, PhilStar news