Witness in church bombing in police custody

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines – A witness who allegedly knew one of the two men behind last Wednesday’s bombing of a chapel in Pikit town here is in police custody.

Senior Superintendent Danilo Peralta, provincial police director, said the witness identified one of the two assailants who fired a 40-millimeter projectile at the chapel of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

Jeremias Dandan and his son Gerome, an engineer, were killed in the incident, which also left three others wounded.

The victims were having a prayer meeting when the incident occurred at around 7:30 p.m.

The Dandans are relatives of former municipal police chief, Senior Inspector Elias Dandan, who was responsible for neutralizing more than a dozen criminal gangs while assigned in Pikit.

Earlier, police said the Dandans could be the target of the attack.

Peralta said one of the two bombers has pending robbery cases in local courts, adding the assailants are reportedly engaged in contract killings.