MANILA, Philippines - The city government of Cotabato has offered a P2-million reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the bombing that killed five persons and wounded 50 others in the city last July 5.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa welcomed the reward offered by the city government, saying this would encourage informants and citizens to hasten the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
Verzosa said there are significant leads being pursued by intelligence operatives to identify the persons directly behind the Cotabato City bombing.
Police released a sketch of the one who detonated the improvised explosive device (IED) and said intelligence operatives in Central Mindanao are now in hot pursuit of him.
Director Felizardo Serapio Jr., head of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations (DIPO) in Western Mindanao, described the attacker to be 5’4” to 5’7” in height, medium built, dark complexion and about 30 years old.
Sketch circulated
Serapio said the suspect’s sketch has been circulated among police, military and other law enforcement units in Region 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
An artist from the National Bureau of Investigation drew the suspect’s sketch based on descriptions provided by three witnesses and video images captured by a CCTV surveillance system installed at the nearby Central Bank Office in Cotabato City near the Elsie’s Lechon House where the IED was detonated.
The DIPO Western Mindanao alerted all PNP units in Central Mindanao and ARMM provinces to help in the manhunt operation.
In his report to Verzosa, Police Regional Office 12 officer-in-charge Chief Supt Felicisimo Khu Jr. said witnesses claimed the bomber wore a black shirt and denim pants as he walked into the Lechon store carrying a big white plastic bag.
Khu said the suspect was seen in the CCTV footage leaving the store while reaching for a cellular phone in his left pants pocket seconds before the IED detonated at 8:34 a.m.
He said post-blast investigators have reconstructed the cell phone controlled IED and confirmed it to be made up of an 81mm mortar projectile packed with two-inch nails to enhance fragmentation.