MILF bomber killed, 15 injured in Maguindanao blast

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front bomb courier was killed when the explosive device he was carrying went off at the public market in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province yesterday morning, also killing two others, and injuring 15.

Local officials identified the fatalities as Tong Umal and Hadji Mansour Hadji Radzak, both ethnic Maguindanaons. A third victim, who was rushed to a hospital in nearby Sultan Kudarat province, is in critical condition. Many others who were wounded in the blasts have returned to their homes after receiving first aid from responding government health workers.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command said that 15 civilians were injured in the blast, which took place at a garbage dump in the said town.

He said that the improvised explosive device was left by the courier but went off shortly before the suspect could get away.

“We have no suicide bombers here. The modus operandi actually is to leave the bomb and there will be a time delay. In this case, the bomber himself was hit,” he said.

Cabangbang said military bomb experts were immediately deployed to the area to investigate, while troops were deployed to conduct clearing operations along the national highway and road nets.

But the spokesman said they are looking into the possibility that some renegade elements of the MILF are trying to intimidate civilians who are supportive of the military.

“Actually, one of the things that we are seeing is to scare Muslims who are not supporting them. They (rebels) want to terrorize them because the people in the area are supportive of the military,” he said.

Local officials in Maguindanao’s neighboring towns of Datu Saudi and Datu Piang have urged the 6th Infantry Division to tightly guard all isolated stretches of the national highway traversing the two towns to prevent more bombing attacks by militant Moro factions.

“Only renegade factions of the MILF, which have foreign-trained bomb experts, have the gut to perpetrate bombings of this kind,” said Col. Jonathan Ponce, spokesman of 6th ID.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman of the MILF, branded Ponce’s assertion as “thin excuse” for the government’s failure to peacefully resolve security problems in areas where there are ongoing manhunts for renegade Moro rebels.

“The military and the police should first investigate before pointing accusing fingers at the MILF. These so-called renegade MILF rebels, like Sheik Ameril Ombra Kato, are not renegades. They are bonafide members of the MILF,” Kabalu told reporters via text message. – With Jaime Laude, Dennis Carcamo, AP