Sunday, May 11, 2008 Gov’t finds no terror links yet in Midsayap blast By Victor Reyes
THE military said there is still no evidence to prove that last Thursday’s bombing at a passenger terminal in North Cotabato province that left two people dead and five others injured was perpetrated by terrorist forces operating in the area.
Armed Forces public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Philippine Army and Philippine National Police investigators were still digging deeper into the afternoon blast at the populated terminal in Midsayap town.
The improvised explosives device exploded right inside a parked commuter van, killing two civilians, who 602nd Brigade commanding officer Col. Pedro Soria said earlier said were inside the van at the time. This is not the first time a bomb exploded in the town.
“Right now, we have no received any information to prove that it was indeed perpetrated by terrorist groups. The investigation is still ongoing,” said Bacarro. “Its being looked into by the Philippine National Police and our Army components in the area,” he added.
Bacarro also said there was still no indication that the attack was extortion-related. A number of bombings in the town during the past months and years have been traced to groups who were trying to mulct cash from businesses.
For his part, 6th Infantry Division spokesman Lt. Col. Julieto Ando said: “It’s hard to speculate if the bombing was terrorist or extortion related. Let us just wait for the result of the investigation being conducted by the police and the military.
