Officials tag BIFF, Al-Khobar group in N. Cotabato bombing

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines - Local officials are convinced only either the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), or the Al-Khobar extortion ring could be responsible for Wednesday’s bombing of the public market in Mlang, North Cotabato.

Mlang Mayor Joselito Piñol said the bombing, which killed two of his constituents and injured more than 30 others, could be in retaliation for the earlier arrest of a guerilla bomb expert implicated in the November 23 bombing in the same town.

Two Mlang residents were killed while more than 20 others were injured in the bombing, which local leaders said was perpetrated by the brigand BIFF.

“The denial by the BIFF that it was not responsible for the two recent bombings in our municipality is unbelievable. All leads point to that group as responsible for these bombings,” Piñol said.

Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the outlawed BIFF, said the local government unit of Mlang should first investigate extensively on both bombings before pointing an accusing finger at them.

“We only attack military targets, not public markets, public terminals and buses carrying passengers,” Mama said.

The BIFF, which is fighting for an independent Muslim state in the south, does not recognize the ceasefire accord between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Mlang, located in west of North Cotabato, is near the vast Liguasan Delta, a known lair of kidnappers, terrorists and members of the notorious Al-Khobar syndicate.

The Al-Khobar extortion gang, comprised of rogue Moro rebels, is blamed for the bombings of buses and business establisbments in Central Mindanao from 2007 to 2011.

Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police director, said investigators are certain the bombing of the Mlang public market last Wednesday was carried out by cohorts of the suspected bomber whom policemen had arrested a day earlier for his alleged role in setting off an improvised explosive device last November 23 in the same municipality.

Peralta said their intelligence units are now helping investigators determine the identities of the bombers behind Wednesday’s attack at the Mlang public market.