Guard foils market bombing in Sultan Kudarat
Local News • 17:54 PM Mon May 22, 2017
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
Cops secure the Isulan pubic market following bombing attempt Monday, May 22, 2017 (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat – An alert market guard
here prevented today what could have been a bloody Monday dawn when he
confronted three men suspiciously leaving a bag at the town’s public market at
1:30 a.m.
Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police
provincial director, said the guard on duty he did not name noticed three men
on board a motorbike arrived at past 1 a.m.
Quoting the guard, Supiter said the three men
suspiciously observed the surroundings then unload a black bag in the spot
where military personnel normally parked Army trucks while doing marketing.
The market guard became suspicious they have ill
motive so he yelled at them, asking what's in the bag.
But the three men hurriedly left, leaving behind the
bag and a Kawasaki Baja motorbike. The guard suspected it was a bomb.
So he immediately alerted the local police who
responded and cordoned off the area.
While police and bomb experts were preparing to
check on the suspicious bag, it suddenly went off.
Supiter said nobody was hurt.
The motorbike is now in police custody and
authorities are coordinating with the local Land Transportation Office (LTO) to
determine ownership of the vehicle.
Supiter theorized the IED was meant for soldiers who
do marketing chores every dawn and parked the Army vehicle near the market exit
road, the same spot where the three men were to plant the bomb.
Investigation continues to determine the persons
behind the bombing attempt.
Supiter said it could be a retaliatory attack by
lawless elements who were the subject of military operation in Barangay Bual,
about 20 kilometers from the town's central market.
Yes, they wanted to get back at the
military, Supiter said.
At least 11 bandits have been killed in Army-police
operations in Barangay Bual since last week.
Government forces were to serve warrants of arrest
against a certain Kagi Dimas alias Commander Dragon, who was into
illegal mining and extortion activities in the village of Bual.
Two of Dragon's followers were arrested and assorted firearms and explosives were recovered in
that operation that also injured a soldier.
Supiter lauded the market guard and directed all
police stations across the province to raise alert status of possible
destabilization attempts by supporters and sympathizers of Commander Dragon.(Edwin
O. Fernandez)