COTABATO CITY: Authorities yesterday released photos of three suspects in the deadly car bomb explosion here that left eight dead and injured more than 30 others.
The city’s police director, Senior Superintendent Rolen Balquin, however, declined to reveal the names of the three suspected bombers pending the outcome of their continuing investigation on the identities and affiliations of the suspects. Balquin added that they were still trying to determine the motive for the August 5 roadside bombing here, the worst ever in the city’s more than 50-year history.
Photos of the three suspects were presented to reporters in a press briefing jointly presided over by Balquin, Col Costudio Parcon, Jr, who is commanding officer of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 1, and Cotabato City Mayor Japal Guiani Jr, chairman of the city peace and order council.
Guiani, during the press conference, appealed to the city’s various communities to help the police and the military determine the motive for the bombing by providing investigators with information about the incident.
The mayor had earlier said he is convinced that the target of the roadside bombing along Sinsuat Avenue here was his younger sister, City Administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi.
The car packed with explosives reportedly made up of ammonium nitrate mixed with petroleum went off just as Sayadi’s convoy was passing through.
Meanwhile, the province will still hold its 10-day “Kalivugan Festival” to highlight the province’s growth and development despite the calamities and bombing attacks that hit the area in recent weeks.
The term “Kalivugan” in the Menuvu vernacular can either mean an important “peace gathering,” or convergence of tribal communities to resolve community issues and concerns.
This year’s August 20 to September 1 traditional event, which is to highlight the cultural identities and ethnicity of the diverse communities, the trade and investments and eco-tourism potentials of North Cotabato, will also highlight the 99th anniversary of the founding of the province.
The Philippine star
