Iligan blast injures 9

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Jan 21): Iligan blast injures 9

Nine persons, including a policeman, were wounded when a bomb exploded in front of a pawnshop in Iligan City Monday morning. Police Superintendent Ronnie Francis Cariaga, spokesperson of Police Regional Office (PRO), said the bomb went off in front of M. Lhuillier pawnshop located along Mercado Street Quezon Avenue Poblacion around 10:15 a.m.

Among those wounded is Police Officer 1 Diosdado “Jun” Cabahug Jr. who was walking towards his car when the bomb, an improvised explosive device, went off. Police authorities are eyeing personal grudge as motive of the explosion after Cabahug admitted he was the target of the suspects.

Cariaga told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that based on their initial investigation, the explosive was placed in a bicycle parked in front of the pawnshop. Cabahug said the bicycle was parked right beside his car. “The bicycle was not yet there when I entered the pawnshop,” he said.

Aside from Cabahug, among those wounded are Roel Asero, 33, security guard of M. Lhuillier and a resident of Pala-o in Iligan City; Charlie Florida, 23, a resident of Mercado-Quezon Avenue Streets Poblacion; Raul Padilla, 48; Ryan Mohammad, 10; Jenmark Asilo, 27; Socorro Alquiza, 70, a resident of Suarez; and Erwin Binsal, 35, of Tambacan, all from Iligan City. Florida was seriously injured in his hips and left leg. The victims were all rushed to the Don Gregorio T. Lluch hospital for treatment.

Iligan City Police Director Senior Superintendent Raul Diones said they are still doing further investigation on the explosion. “We are still identifying the suspects. We are also investigating PO1 Cabahug on why he was the target of the explosion,” Diones said. The explosion has reportedly caused fear among the residents as they called on the City Government to investigate the spate of bombings in the city.

Last December 24, a bomb exploded inside a rented room at the second floor of Nigra Lodging House in Iligan City. No one was killed or injured in the blast. Last May 2012, a bomb also exploded outside El Centro bar, which killed two people and injured 21 others.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2013/01/21/iligan-blast-injures-9-263958