South Cotabato Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said yesterday that the explosion that ripped through a market here last Saturday afternoon was a result of poor intelligence work by police and military authorities.
"Somebody should be liable for this tragic incident and it is now high time to challenge our intelligence operatives to work harder in identifying the mastermind of the series of bombings in the region, particularly in Koronadal City," Fuentes said.
She also said the two previous bombings that occurred in a shopping mall here on Feb. 21 and inside the public market last March 25 were the handiwork of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
But this time, Fuentes said in referring to Saturday’s bombing of the marketplace, "we could not yet pinpoint the perpetrators."
Fuentes added the recent bombing could have been avoided if intelligence funds were used properly by law enforcement officials.
She urged police and military intelligence officials to dig deeper into the alleged extortion activities of a group led by Abu Solaiman who reportedly asked for P3 million from City Mayor Fernando Miguel.
Although Miguel initially denied the group made contact with him to ask for money, Fuentes said local authorities "should have done something."
"We have the cellular phone numbers of Solaiman but we have no means of locating his whereabouts," said Fuentes, warning that the group could sow more terror in the city.
In a separate interview, Miguel later confirmed Solaiman and his group had been calling him up since February asking for protection money.
Hours following last Saturday’s explosion in the city market, Miguel quoted Solaiman over the cellular phone as saying: "Hindi sana mangyayari ang pagbobomba kung marunong man sana kayo at mga kagawad mo na sumunod sa hinihingi namin na tulong (This could not have happened if only you and your men helped us)."
The visibly irked mayor replied: "Kami na ang binomba n’yo, kami pa magbigay ng tulong (We ended up as your victims and yet, you have the temerity to ask for our help)."
Military authorities here led by Col. Agustin Dima-ala, commander of the Army’s 301st Brigade, said the military and the police cannot be solely blamed for the intelligence failure but local officials and the civilian population as well.
"Supposedly, the civilians have more role to prevent terrorism because the enemies are using unconventional tactics when they attacked us," Dima-ala said.
Bella Lechonsito, provincial welfare and development officer, said nine people were killed in the blast and 41 others wounded.
Officials earlier reported 13 people killed, but social welfare officers, who visited the victims at the hospitals, said some of the fatalities were apparently counted twice. One fatality was listed several times as having died after he was resuscitated several times.
In the aftermath of the bombing, soldiers were deployed at the public market but few store owners opened for business and the place was largely deserted. Additional police and soldiers were deployed at churches in this mainly Christian city.
The blast damaged a pillar in the market building and dug a crater about two feet in diameter and a foot deep. The shock wave from the explosion blew electric cables from a nearby lamp post, causing a local blackout.
Two Muslim groups — the one led by Solaiman and the MILF — have been identified as likely suspects so far but police authorities are cautious about jumping to conclusions over who might be behind the bombing.
Police investigators are also trying to identify two men seen by witnesses carrying the bomb.
There were also reports quoting witnesses seeing two men gettint off a tricycle, one of them stumbling on the sidewalk triggering a premature explosion.
South Cotabato police director Senior Superintendent Romeo Rufino announced they have released the artist’s sketch of the two suspects.
"We have already sets of suspects and angles to follow in our investigation. But it is premature yet to reveal any group," Rufino said.
He said the police had not identified them and could not say if they were part of the group.
Eyewitnesses were quoted as saying they heard the two suspects speaking in the accent of a Muslim ethnic group.
On the other hand, Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamco said they received information about Solaiman’s claims owning responsibility for the attack.
"It’s good he (Solaiman) confirmed and it will be easy for us to file necessary charges if indeed they are responsible.
That will strengthen our resolve really to neutralize the group," Kyamco said.
Military spokesman Maj. Julieto Ando, however, said Sulaiman made it a practice to call authorities everytime there is an explosion in Mindanao and claim responsibility.
He said investigators should look at other suspects besides Sulaiman, including the separatist MILF.
The MILF denied responsibility for Saturday’s blast, claiming "a third party" might have carried out the bomb attack to put the blame once more on the Muslim separatists.
Police said the bomb was fashioned out of an 81-mm. mortar connected to a timing device.
Hours after the explosion, another bomb of similar type was discovered hidden beside an LPG tank near the city’s fire station. The explosive device was later defused.
The military reported that the MILF was behind the bombing, citing the method used in creating the bombs, similar to the previous bombings staged by the separatist rebels.
In a visit to the city yesterday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina said "the manner that it was conducted has the same pattern as... the bombings in Davao City," referring to the airport and wharf blasts that left 38 people dead and scores of other wounded in March and April. He said the pattern "really points to the MILF."
Local officials told Lina that two men left two bombs in front of the city public market before fleeing aboard a tricycle.
This corrected earlier reports that the men carrying the bombs perished in the blast.
Lina also said several people have been brought in for questioning by the police but declined to give details.
Following the bombing in Koronadal, President Arroyo ordered Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane to make a progress report on the investigation into the incident.
Political leaders remained divided on whom to blame for the attack.
Muslim leaders in Central Mindanao believed the MILF was behind it, aimed at diverting the attention of the police and military who are hot on the trail of MILF leaders.
"Or it (the Koronadal bombing) could be a test mission for young rebel recruits who have just undergone training on handling of explosives," said one Muslim leader who requested anonymity.
Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, chairman of Central Mindanao’s Regional Development Council, said the bombing was an attempt to sow terror among South Cotabato’s culturally diverse population.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte also ordered a tighter security measure implemented in the city following the Koronadal bombing. – With Roel Pareño, Edith Regalado, AFP