Lanao, Cotabato power posts bombed

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Two more power posts of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) in Lanao del Sur and North Cotabato were bombed on Thursday night.

Melfrance Capulong, NGCP spokesman, said unidentified men bombed Tower 25 in Barangay Gandamatu in Ramain town around 10 p.m. and Tower 95 in Barangay Aroman in Carmen town after 20 minutes .

The two towers connect dozens of towns in Central Mindanao to hydroelectric plants in Lanao del Sur and Bukidnon.

Authorities are investigating if members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were behind the attacks. The BIFF had been blamed for recent bombings of NCGP towers in Maguindanao and North Cotabato provinces in recent months.

The bandit group was also believed to be responsible for the death of seven farmers in Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat before dawn on Thursday. The bandits strafed an Army detachment prior to the attacks.

The death of Robert Latosa, a barangay councilman in Simsiman in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato, was also blamed on the BIFF. Latosa’s house was shot with a shoulder-fired grenade on Thursday night.

Another group of BIFF bandits strafed a Catholic chapel in Barangay Malagakit after several minutes.

The BIFF had warned of more attacks in retaliation for recent military operations that left four of their comrades dead.

Stop the violence

Government peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer urged the BIFF to stop the violence and heed ”the people’s desire for peace and normalcy in their lives.”

“We commiserate with the families of the civilians who were summarily executed...in separate incidents over the last few days,” Ferrer said.

She said the attacks “indicate an attempt to gain momentum for the BIFF’s bid to destabilize the situation… and garner attention for themselves and their flagging cause.”

“We pray for the safety of our soldiers who, instead of humbly celebrating the holiday season in their remote posts, have been mobilized to prevent the hostile group from wreaking more harm on the populace,” Ferrer said. – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Edith Regalado