Cops hunt North Cotabato bombers

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 2): Cops hunt North Cotabato bombers

PIKIT, North Cotabato -- Police have launched massive manhunt against a riding-in-tandem involved in the grenade attack here Saturday night that left one dead and another wounded.

Supt. Bernard Tayong, provincial police spokersman, said Pikit police are following a lead provided by several witness to the 7 p.m. grenade attack in front of a roadside variety store, near the public market here.

Chief Insp. Rommy Castanares, Pikit town police chief, said the explosion in front of roadside Pacalna Variety Store on Apollo Street in Barangay Poblacion injured store helper Jamil Umraan and owner Norodin Pacalna, 35.

The victims were brought to Cruzado Medical Clinic but Umraan was pronounced dead upon arrival due to fatal shrapnel injuries.

“Pacalna was closing his store with Umraan when unidentified men on motorbike lobbed a hand grenade then sped away,” Castanares told PNA. Motive of the attack remained unknown as of posting.

Saturday’s grenade attack came a day after a villager was injured in an explosion that ripped through a residential area here before dawn Friday.

The victim, Esmael Guialel, sustained shrapnel wounds after a grenade landed in front of his home at 5 a.m., according to police.

The suspects were riding on a motorbike and fled toward the national highway.

Police investigators have yet to determine if the twin grenade attacks were perpetrated by same aggressors for still unknown motive.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1020199