6th ID chief condemns Rural Tours bus bombing that hurt 6
Mindanao Armed Conflict • 08:15 AM Mon Apr 25, 2022
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By:
6th ID Public Affairs Office
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao — Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th Infantry Division commander, has condemned the Rural Transit Bus bomb attack in Parang, Maguindanao.
Major General Uy, also Joint Task Force Central commander, described the attack as "an act of cowardice and unprovoked aggression targeting innocent civilians in the middle of the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan."
It was known based on reports that the Rural Transit Bus with Body No. 107381 was enroute to Dipolog City from Cotabato City when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded at the rear portion of the bus. The attack happened at about 7:30 in the morning of April 24, 2022 while the bus was traversing along the national highway of Purok Nangka, Barangay Making, Parang, Maguindanao.
The explosion resulted to the wounding of six individuals identified as:
1) Fesel Culag, 40 years old female passenger and a resident of Cotabato City;
2) John Paul Capio, 17 years old male passenger and a resident of Cotabato City;
3) Expedito Ocay, 45 years old male passenger and a resident of Cotabato City;
4) Benjamin Wahab, 32 years old male passenger and a resident of Cotabato City;
5) Pastor Bularon, 53 years old male passenger and a resident of Dipolog City; and
6) Elgen Palma, 30 years old male bus conductor and a resident of Dipolog City.
EOD Personnel further successfully defused a secondary IED which was placed on the opposite of the bus.
Likewise, authorities recovered different components of the exploded IED which are vital in the ongoing investigation to identify the perpetrators responsible for the attack. Initially, EOD personnel recovered ruptured part of cell phone; pieces of ruptured blasting cap, ruptured 9-volts battery, common nails, and pieces of electronic circuits.
Maj. Gen. Uy urged the security forces in Central Mindanao to always be alert and vigilant against the perpetrators of this attack and for the community to continuously report any suspicious individuals, activities, and persons in their respective areas.
“I call on to all residents of Central Mindanao to cooperate with the government in identifying those responsible for this attack in order for us to preempt and thwart similar attacks against our communities and forces,” Maj. Gen. Uy said.