P100K reward raised for Koronadal blast suspects

From the Manila Times (May 2): P100K reward raised for Koronadal blast suspects

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao: A P100,000 reward is being offered to anyone who can give authorities information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators in the Sunday bombing in Koronadal City which the Philippine National Police (PNP) blamed on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

But Abu Misri Mama, speaking for the BIFF on Tuesday, denied involvement in the attack and instead blamed the Army and the police for the bombing outside a Catholic church that injured two civilians.

Koronadal City Mayor Peter Miguel said the reward money will help the police fast track the identification and prosecution of those involved in the bombing.

PNP Director Gen. Oscar Albayalde said the police have in their custody a CCTV footage showing a woman leaving a plastic bag in front of the 747 convenience store which turned out to be a powerful improvised bomb and another one who left the IED.

Abayalde on Monday visited the blast site as well as the blast victims – Dindo Legalag, 44, of Barangay General Paulino Santos and Generosa Festin, 44, vendor of Barangay Topland, both in Koronadal City.

“No relief order yet, I gave the two officials time to investigate, arrest the suspects and solve the crime,” Abayalde said referring to Supt. Ronald Allan Penaverde, Koronadal City police director, and Senior Supt. Nestor Salcedo, South Cotabato police provincial director.

Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) director, earlier pointed to the outlawed BIFF as among the possible suspects in the bombing.

“It was a diversionary tactic of the BIFF due to the series of arrests we made in the region,” Morales said.

More PNP and military checkpoints have been set up around Koronadal while the entire police force in PRO-12 were put under alert status to prevent similar attacks.

http://www.manilatimes.net/p100k-reward-raised-for-koronadal-blast-suspects/396190/