North Cotabato optimistic reward money helps fast track arrest of bombers

From the Philippine News Agency (Nov 19): North Cotabato optimistic reward money helps fast track arrest of bombers

North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Mendoza Thursday expressed hope that the reward money put up by her office and that of the local government of Kabacan, North Cotabato will lead to the identification, arrest and prosecution of suspects in the series of bombings in Kabacan town.

A total of PHP100,000 await informant who can provide vital information about the identities and perpetrators of the series of bombings in Kabacan town over the weekend that left six persons injured.

Earlier, Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman Jr., offered PHP50,000 reward money for information about the suspects in three grenade attacks in town.

Mendoza added PHP50,000 reward money.

On Friday last week, a girl was injured when two men on a motorbike tossed a hand grenade in front of Rock Oil Gas Station in Barangay Kayaga, Kabacan. Motive and identities of the attackers remained unknown.

On Saturday, two men also riding on a motorbike lobbed a hand grenade at a roadside barbecue stand at the corner of Malvar Street and Rizal Avenue that wounded a traffic enforcer and four others.

”This is a test to the provincial security capability,” Mendoza said in a statement as she ordered the creation of Task Force Kabacan. The task force, composed of anti-narcotics agents, Army and police units, will focus on prevention and prosecution of the suspects in previous attacks.

Mendoza also ordered the deployment of more police force multiplier to augment security personnel in securing populated areas.

While the Kabacan was reeling from grenade attacks, unidentified armed men massacred a family of five in nearby Carmen town, also in North Cotabato on Sunday night.

Supt. Bernard Tayong, North Cotabato police spokesperson, said the massacre was triggered by a long standing family feud involving the victims and an unidentified family in Carmen.

On Tuesday afternoon, unidentified men tossed a hand grenade at a quarry site in Matalam, North Cotabato. However, the grenade did not explode.

Responding bomb experts safely detonated the grenade.

In the same month last year, North Cotabato was been rocked bomb attacks that left four persons dead and injured more than 50 others.

On November 16 last year, a state university student was killed and 17 others were hurt when an improvised bomb planted on a overpass went off.

A week later, on Nov. 23, 2014, three teenagers and 24 others were hurt when an IED exploded in a billiard hall in Barangay Poblacion, Mlang, North Cotabato.

On Dec. 31, two persons were killed when an improvised bomb exploded at the entrance of Mlang public market. The IED was set off while the public marker was busy with market goers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=828872