Cops hunting down suspects in Maguindanao mayoral aspirant's slay try

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 14): Cops hunting down suspects in Maguindanao mayoral aspirant's slay try

Police here are hunting down the men behind the roadside bombing in a remote village in Maguindanao that left three persons injured Wednesday afternoon.

Supt. Jibin Bongcayao, spokesperson for Maguindanao Police Office, said pursuit operations have been going on since Wednesday afternoon against the suspects last seen near the blast site.

Bongcayao said the improvised explosive device set off at 2:30 p.m. was intended for Vice Mayor Remegio Sioson of South Upi, Maguindanao. He is running under PDP-Laban party against seven other aspirants for mayor of the said upland town.

Sioson was heading to Barangay Timanan from the village of Pandan on board his Mitsubishi vehicle when the IED, fashioned from 60 mm mortar, was set off by still unidentified suspects nearby, using a two-way radio as triggering device.

While Sioson miraculously survived the bombing, his three aids, including his cousin, were slightly injured.

Michael Bibaoco, Sioson’s private secretary, said the vice mayor and his unarmed escorts were heading to Timanan from the village of Pandan where he visited the Maguindanao medical team on outreach program.

Injured were Bibaoco, 30, Junito Venancio, 34, Sioson's escort and Rommel Sioson, 35, his cousin.

Despite the attempt on his life, Sioson declared he is not backing off from the race and let the police solve the case.

In Nov. 2013, Sioson also survived an ambush in the borders of Datu Odin Sinsuat town and South Upi, both in Maguindanao.

Informed of the incident, Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu immediately condemned the bombing and called for sobriety to all the candidates.

He also challenged the police to identify, arrest and prosecute the bombers.

He also called on all political aspirants in the province to raise the level of campaign and avoid using violence.

"Enough of violence, let us mature as political aspirants and leaders," he told partymates of the ruling Liberal Party and all other candidates.

Police could not say whether the bombing was politically motivated saying investigation is still going on.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=876255