3 suspects in Koronadal blast nabbed

Three suspects in the blast that ripped through a public market in Koronadal, South Cotabato last May 10, killing at least 10 people, were arrested yesterday by virtue of court-issued warrants.

Deputy Director General Virtus Gil, deputy chief for operations of the Philippine National Police, said elements of the Central Mindanao police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Army nabbed the three suspects in Midsayap, North Cotabato yesterday morning.

Gil, who heads Task Force Northeastern Mindanao, withheld the names of the three arrested suspects pending results of the probe and the operations report from Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Tor, Central Mindanao police director.

But sources identified one of the three as a certain "Taiwan," said to have planted the bomb in the Koronadal market. The blast left a crater about two feet in diameter and a foot deep.

Earlier, South Cotabato officials said the attack was the result of the poor intelligence work of police and military authorities.

The Koronadal bombing was part of a spate of attacks throughout Mindanao, largely blamed on the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front. — Christina Mendez