An Army colonel here said the man behind the series of
bombings here is being protected by an influential person in Cotabato City
Three bombing incidents last week left four persons injured,
including two soldiers. First, a rifle grenade hit a Cotabato
City power firm, followed by a grenade
attack on government forces on patrol and another failed grenade on a Bingo Center
Colonel Ranulfo Sevilla, commander of the 5th Army Special
Forces battalion, said Ruben Montes, leader of a gun-for-hire group and known
methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu pusher, was out to get back at
government forces.
“Montes has the motive, he is well armed, he has the
capability to get back at us and he has a protector,” Sevilla told the Cotabato
City Security Summit Thursday. He did not name the influential person.
Montes, also known as “Black Moro,” was arrested on charges
of illegal possession of firearms on October 7 after his group shot dead a
bystander and traded bullets with responding Special Forces soldiers along SK
Pendatun Avenue, Cotabato City.
In that shootout, Montes survived unscathed but his wife,
his brother and another gang member were killed. Two cal. 45 pistols were taken
from him.
However, on Nov. 13, Montes was released on orders of
Regional Trial Court (RTC-13) Judge Bansawan Ibrahim after the suspect posted
property bond.
The next day, unidentified motorcycle riding men fired rifle
grenade at 6:30 p.m. at the transformer station of Cotabato Light and Power
Company (Cotabato Light) along Sinsuat
Avenue
Few minutes later, while the city was without electricity,
two men also riding in tandem on a motorbike fired M-79 grenade toward a
military truck loaded with soldiers conducting patrol along Sinsuat Avenue,
leaving two infantry men and two civilians hurt.
The blast also damaged two other cargo trucks nearby.
The next day, Sunday, another failed grenade attack was
reported in front of Cafe
Florencio Bingo
Center Sinsuat Avenue
Sevilla said Montes was the primary suspect based on Army
intelligence information.
He said members of illegal drug syndicates are also among
the suspects after the Army dismantled illegal drug dens in the city the past
week.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=828858
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