Blast hits Cotabato City, nobody hurt

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 26): Blast hits Cotabato City, nobody hurt

Another blast rocked Cotabato City Wednesday night, particularly at the sentry of civil-military office, the fourth since November 14, police said.

But no one was hurt in the 6:15 p.m. blast but it partially damaged a bamboo perimeter fence of the 6th Civil Military Battalion headquarters at PC Hill, this city.

The military here has been bracing for grenade attacks since last September when two soldiers of Army Special Forces Battalion manning a detachment at the heart of the city were killed by rifle grenade attack.

Since November 14, four grenade attack was recorded in the city that left four persons injured, including two soldiers.

Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Cotabato City police director, said the blast at CMO headquarters was believed to have been fired by motorcycle riding men.

“We are following up a lead,” he said.

The CMO headquarters was located along Veterans Avenue which served as detour route from commuters from downtown area to Mabini Street.

Colonel Ranulfo Sevilla, 5th Special Forces Battalion commander, who lost two men in previous rifle grenade attacks, blamed a notorious syndicate who wanted to get back at the military for previous operations.

He named Ruben Montes, a leader of a gang operating in Cotabato City whose three followers, including his wife, were killed in a shootout with SF forces along SK Pendatun Avenue.

Montes was arrested for gun possession and was charged accordingly but was freed on November 13 on court order after posting property bail bond.

The next day, Sevilla said, Montes and his men fired a rifle grenade at the Cotabato Light power firm, triggering city-wide brownout followed by rifle grenade attack on Army KM-450 vehicle that injured two soldiers and two civilians. The following day, a hand grenade was lobbed but did not explode in front of a bingo center along Sinsuat Avenue.

“We believed all these were the works of Montes because he was capable, he has acts to grind against the SF and is protected by a local official,” Sevilla told reporters without naming the official.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=831528