COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/13 July) — On May 2 this year, the police chief of Datu Piang town in Maguindanao, Inspector Daniel Pumecha said their station was a target of bomb attack. A bombing did occur past 8 p.m. Monday, killing a schoolchild and wounding four other persons two of whom are also children.
Police identified the fatality as Moktar Masdal, whose body was reduced to shreds.
Two of the wounded victims were identified as Usop Panegas, principal of Datu Gumbay Elementary School, and Nasser Kempao, a teacher at the same school.
The identities of the two wounded children were not known.
The blast also destroyed the police station.
“Yes, we have threats on municipal hall, municipal police station, church and major installations, even this police [station], we are not sure lang if before or after election,” Pumecha said on May 2.
Reports an unidentified person placed an Adidas bag in front of the police station before the explosion.
Police were still investigating if the bombing was related to the longtime feud between political rivals Tata Campua and incumbent Mayor Samer Uy.
The conflicting parties have reportedly traded gunfire for weeks now in Barangay Reyna Rehente. Six persons have been killed so far, including a three-year-old child who was hit by a stray 81mm howitzer Thursday in Barangay Macasendeg in Pikit town, Cotabato.
Seven persons including some children were also wounded.
Both sides have ignored calls by the International Monitoring Team to stop the hostilities. (Ferdinand Cabrera/MindaNews)
