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Saturday, October 04, 2003
Preacher killed in mosque bombing
By Ben O. Tesiorna and Peng Aliņo
DAVAO -- An Islamic preacher was among the four persons who died in a grenade explosion at a mosque inside the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) regional office compound in Midsayap, North Cotabato Friday noon.
Islamic preacher Ismael Datu Kali, who had been presiding over the prayers died together with Umarkais Mamalac, an engineer and NIA regional irrigation director Macmod Mending, who died of his wounds on the way to the hospital. The other fatality has not been identified as of press time.
Aside from the four fatalities at least 10 others were injured when unidentified persons lobbed a grenade at a mosque inside the NIA regional office compound.
Reports said the explosion occurred past 12 p.m. while the victims were inside the mosque praying.
Major Gen. Generoso Senga, commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division based in Awang, Cotabato, said Mending was obviously the target of the assailants as the grenade was thrown near him while he was praying inside the mosque.
Senga said two people were seen milling around the mosque shortly before the blast.
Chief Inspector Eduardo Marquez said at least one suspect was seen talking to several worshippers inside the mosque immediately before the explosion.
"The suspect, based on witnesses accounts, even participated in the prayer session. Were still tracking the suspect down so we can give justice to the victims," Marquez said.
Authorities found two grenade pins found at the door of the mosque, indicating that the bombers hurled the explosives from there.
Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero said "an undetermined number of men" carried out the attack but could provide no further details.
So far, no arrests have been made and police have no immediate suspects or motive for the attack.
An irrigation agency employee, Luciano Cadungog, said he was in another building in the compound when he heard a loud explosion.
He rushed to the mosque only to find some of the victims lying in pools of blood while other people were running out of the mosque in terror.
Motive
Senga said his command believes that the motive of the crime was personal and had nothing to do with any religious conflict.
Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) executive director Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan condemned the Midsayap bombing in the strongest possible terms and called on authorities to conduct an objective investigation.
He called on the people to refrain from wild speculations because this could easily be used to ignite emotions and pit Muslims against Christians.
"The perpetrators must be isolated and brought to the bar of justice," Ampatuan said.
He also offered his deep sympathies to the family, relatives and friends of the victims.
Cotabato Gov. Manny Piņol, for his part, said in an interview that the incident is not a war against religion. Like the military, he also theorized that the motive could have been a personal grudge against the NIA regional director.
The attacks came amid efforts by President Arroyo to restart stalled peace talks with Muslim secessionists on Mindanao, the homeland of a large Muslim minority that has suffered from a generation of sectarian bloodshed.
US President George W. Bush has offered at least 30 million dollars in development aid to Mindanao once a peace pact is signed, but the 12,500-member Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been slow to regroup after the death of leader Salamat Hashim in July who passed away due to natural causes.
Midsayap, which is mainly Christian but has a sizable Muslim minority, has been hit by bomb blasts before, with most of the previous attacks blamed on Muslim separatist guerrillas. Sun.Star Davao with AFP
(October 4, 2003 issue)
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