Probers eye `love triangle’ as likely angle of Parang bombing

COTABATO CITY-
Officials confirmed on Saturday the grenade attack that hurt seven people in
Parang town Friday night was triggered by a marital quarrel” and policemen are
now searching for the perpetrator.

Bombing suspect Sautoh
Gitih, an ethnic Maguindanaon, fled from Parang, a seaside town in northwest of
Maguindanao, after setting off a fragmentation grenade at a group
whiling away time at one spot of the town market near the municipal hall.

He was suspecting that
one of those injured in the grenade explosion has an illicit relation with his
wife,” said Adnan Biruar, president of municipal Association of Barangay
Chairmen in Parang.Neighbors of the couple confirmed hearing them quarrel about the issue hours before the incident.

Biruar, chairman of
Barangay Tagudtungan in Parang, and Mayor Ibrahim Ibay, chairman of the
municipal peace and order council, both said policemen are now trying to locate
the whereabouts of Gitih.

Ibay said the explosion
was preceded by automatic bursts of gunfire.

We still don’t know if
the gunfire was a diversionary ploy,” Ibay said.

Ibay identified the
seven blast victims as Jamila Tomas, Abdullah Tomas, Salahudin Tomas, Saima
Raoro, Camlon Rairo, Sirikit Magayan and a certain Lucman, who were rushed to
hospital by municipal rescue workers.

Ibay and Biruar declined
to identify who among the injured men was the suspected paramour of Gitih’s
wife.

Let us give time to
investigators now validating that angle of the incident. We’re pretty sure it’s
the likely angle because the suspected bomber had disappeared after the grenade
attack,” said Biruar.