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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/14 Oct) — A mother and her two daughters were killed when a suspected grenade exploded under their nipa house in Barangay Lower Tinungcaan, North Upi, Maguindanao midnight on Tuesday, police reports said.
Police identified the fatalities as Angelie Timpadan, 30, and daughters Laarni and Jalanie, aged 6 and 4, respectively. Three more children — Archie, 10; Icel, 7; and Alanis, 1 — suffered shrapnel wounds and were rushed to a local hospital in the said town. The incident took place around 11 p.m. while the victims were sleeping.
Reports said the husband, Allan, could have been the perpetrators’ target but he was not around when the incident took place. He was reportedly attending a meeting in their barangay captain’s house when the explosion occurred.
Allan is a village tribal chieftain of the Teduray tribe in Tinungcaan and serving as a member of the Lupong Tagapamayapa in his area.
It was also learned that he has filed his interest to run as barangay kagawad in the upcoming October 25 barangay election.
But Police Inspector Marcialiana De Leon of North Upi Police said they are not zeroing in on the election as the cause of the attack.
“We are more looking into his affiliation with the Lupong Tagapamayap because his is mediating in many tribal conflicts. Maybe one party was upset on his decision,” De Leon said.
A joint manhunt conducted by the police and the Army is now on to locate the suspects. (Ferdie Cabrera / MindaNews)