2 dead, 3 wounded in grenade blast inside North Cotabato church

From InterAksyon (Oct 8): 2 dead, 3 wounded in grenade blast inside North Cotabato church



Map from cotabato.gov.ph

Two people were killed and three others wounded after a rifle grenade fired by two motorcycle-riding men exploded during church service Wednesday night in Pikit, North Cotabato.

The corrected casualty count was provided by Major Dante Gania, public affairs chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, who initially reported three persons killed and four wounded.

Gania told Interaksyon.com in a phone interview that the attack happened inside the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Barangay Poblacion at about 8 p.m. The photo below is from Jeffery Mendez.



“Kasulukuyan daw 'yong church service nang may humintong dalawang kalalakihan sakay ng motorsiklo sa harapan ng main door ng simbahan at isa sa kanila ang may hawak ng M203 tube at pinutok sa loob ng simbahan. Sumabog at tatlo daw 'yong patay at apat pa ang sugatan,” Gania said.

[There was an on-going service when two men on a motorcycle stopped at the main door of the church and one of them fired an M203 tube inside the structure. The grenade exploded killing three and hurting four others.]

The fatalities were identified as Felomina Ferolin, head nurse of the Pagalungan Community Hospital, and teacher Gina Cabilona, 39.

Wounded were engineer Jeremias Dandan, 60, teacher Virgie Manolid, 63, and businessman Jerome Dandan, 28.

Pikit police chief Inspector Mautin Pangandingan said the attackers fired through the wide-open door of the church, hitting a pew before exploding.
He said it was fortunate the blast did not cause more casualties among the more than 30 worshippers at the church.

The identities and motives of the attackers have yet to be determined, he added.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/96947/2-dead-3-wounded-in-grenade-blast-inside-north-cotabato-church