The military has tagged a band of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels, led by a certain Commander Rambo, as responsible for the bombing, the worst ever in the history of Maguindanao, whose towns are mostly locked in clan wars involving influential Muslim families.
Sources from the Muslim religious community in Maguindanao claimed having received persistent feedback that two foreigners, believed to be either Middle Easterners or Pakistanis, were allegedly seen with Rambo’s group a day before the bombing.
"The bombing in Datu Piang could have been two-pronged, first as a test mission for Rambo’s group, and second, aimed at assassinating the mayor of Datu Piang," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified.
The Army’s 301st Infantry Brigade, which has jurisdiction over Datu Piang and surrounding towns, has insisted that the bombing was aimed at neutralizing Ampatuan, eldest son of Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan.
The Ampatuan clan has been known for having been supportive of the military’s continuing campaign against secessionist forces in the province.
A group of public school teachers in the province said they, too, received information from their students residing in barangays surrounding Datu Piang that two foreigners were seen mingling with Rambo and his men two days after the bombing, which also left 12 people seriously injured.
The bomb, according to Army ordnance experts, was fashioned from live 81mm and 60mm mortar shells rigged with a blasting mechanism linked to a mobile phone, something that was new to them.