3 bus bombing suspects nabbed

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Police and military operatives yesterday arrested three suspects behind last Thursday’s bombing of a passenger bus in Matalam town in North Cotabato that killed 10 people and injured 30 others.

Regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Benjamin Hao identified the three suspects as Torex, Kagui and Siang, all surnamed Ulama.

The three did not resist arrest when they were surprised by lawmen at their hideout in Shariff District, a slum area in the city that is a known haven of drug traffickers and guns for hire.

The arresting lawmen led by Lt. Col. Roy Galido said the three were tagged by Pigko Tangkulo, who confessed that the suspects had ordered him to board the bus with the explosive device.

Tangkulo was earlier arrested by the police following tips from several informants.

Tangkulo led the police and military to the hideout of the suspects.

This developed as the provincial government of North Cotabato has offered a P100,000 reward leading to the arrest of two other suspects in the bombing.

North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Talino Mendoza, as chair of the provincial peace and order council, announced the bounty as she ordered the police chiefs in the towns of the province to coordinate efforts in identifying the suspects behind the bombing.

Mendoza expressed optimism that other sectors would also help raise the reward for the capture of the bombing suspects.

“It was a sad day for North Cotabato. It happened at a time when the province was already taking off, economy wise,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza earlier had a meeting with Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Raul Bacalzo in Kidapawan City to discuss the developments of the investigation into the bomb attack.

The PNP has formed a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) composed of experts from the North Cotabato regional police and the military explosive experts in the region.

Bacalzo stressed the need for local officials to implement security measures to prevent similar incidents, particularly against picking up passengers between terminals.

Bacalzo noted some witnesses saw at least three people alight from the bus moments before it blew up.

Initial investigation said three men boarded the Rural Transit Bus along the highway in Kabacan and planted the improvised explosive device underneath one of its seats.

Bacalzo visited the survivors of the bombing at the hospital and assured them of immediate resolution of the incident.

Bacalzo though did not rule out the possibility that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was behind the bombing.

Bacalzo noted the bombing could have been in retaliation for the recent arrest of one of its leaders in Davao City.

“We do not want to speculate. All angles are being considered,” Bacalzo told reporters here.

For his part, police regional director Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu said he is convinced that rogue elements of the MILF were behind the bombing attack.

Khu said the method employed in the bombing in using mortar shells was the signature of the MILF’s Special Operations Group.

Bacalzo, on the other hand, said the local police and the management of the bus firm apparently failed to implement the proper security measures that could have prevented the bombing attack.

Reports said the bus driver had admitted picking up passengers midway between designated stopover terminals.

Buses plying the highway in Cotabato, Davao, and Sultan Kudarat have been subjected to bombings, extortions, and other harassments, since 2000.

“After every bus explosion, the management and security personnel start employing safety measures, including baggage inspection and passenger checks. But a few months later, when everything returns to normal, they start to be relax again as if not anticipating any attack,” Bacalzo said. – With Mike Frialde