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Sunday, June 17, 2007
Extortion eyed in Weena bus bombing
DAVAO CITY -- Police authorities investigating Friday's bomb attack of two Weena buses in Cotabato City and Bansalan, Davao del Sur believed that extortion is the most logical angle in the twin blast.
According to Lieutenant General Rodolfo Obaniana, chief of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command extortion is the most logical angle in the Bansalan blast.
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The owners of Weena Bus Company (WBC) also decided to temporarily cease operations in Central Mindanao following the series of attacks against their bus units.
For the past two months, two separate bus terminal bombings also struck WBC buses, one in Matalam, North Cotabato, last week where 10 persons were injured; and in Cotabato City on May 18 where a boy was killed and more than 30 others were injured.
WBC manager Eddie Soledad said the series of attacks against the company had caused much trouble, including damage to properties and loss of lives.
He declined to identify the group behind the attacks, though admitted that extortion was the reason behind the bombings. But the group was asking P2 million from the owners.
Soledad refused to comment on reports that the harassments were due to labor problems. Initial police investigation disclosed that the possibility of a C-4 substance could have been in the attacks against the buses.
The C-4, as defined, is made up of explosive, plastic binder, plasticizer that made up RDX, also known as cyclonite or cyclotrimethylene trinitramine, in the explosive material.
Obaniana said the recovered pieces of evidence were similar to the ones used in the Matalam explosion.
Eyewitnesses said a man had boarded the bus before it reached Bansalan and disembarked leaving a bag behind.
The bus conductor tried to carry the bag off the bus but it exploded, killing and wounding many of the passengers and crew.
Senior Superintendent Anselmo Pinili described the man who planted the bomb as short with a dark and rough complexion as he presented the sketch of the suspect to the public.
Deputy Regional Police Director Conrado Laza appealed for vigilance, saying that the bus conductor should have had the passengers evacuate the bus rather than trying to take the suspicious bag out.
Death toll
The number of fatalities in Bansalan, Davao del Sur blast has remained at eight despite earlier reports that it already reached 10. One of the fatalities is a soldier, while 14 others were wounded.
The fatalities were identified as Pepe Villotes, Wilson Minel, Ricardo Tolibas, Crisologo Arat, Corporal Dariel Potestas, bus conductor Rasty Antonino, bus driver Romeo Lu, and an unidentified female.
The wounded were identified as Mary Joy Teves, Teodora Salucat, Mercy Sanchez, Lo Jean Yu, Lovelyn Aben, Merlinda Laguna, Edwin Sisneros, Rodrigo Terando, Rey Montez, Devencio Lagance, Joseph Bryan Carnada, Mary Ann Cateñeda, Lucia Lofranco and Dyna Lofranco.
The Weena Bus with plate number MVF-404 coming from Cotabato City and on its way to Davao City had a stop over at the Bansalan terminal shortly before 6 p.m. Friday.
As the bus was on its way to Davao and was cruising along the national highway a bomb suddenly exploded at the front portion of the bus.
Davao del Sur Governor Benjamin Bautista immediately ordered the police provincial office to conduct an investigation and placed the province at a heightened alert.
Bautista also called for the activation of the crisis team to address the problem and help the victims. Nobody was reported injured in the blast in Cotabato City.
Police marshall
Meanwhile, Central Mindanao Regional Police Director Felizardo Serapio vowed the deployment of police marshals in buses to prevent further attacks against buses operating in the region.
Serapio said bus marshals will ensure the safety of WBC buses and similar public buses that are targets of current terror attacks.
"Starting June 16, plainclothes marshals would be deployed in buses for the safety of the passengers" he stressed.
American soldiers also arrived in Bansalan Saturday to help investigators in the recent bomb blast.
The US bomb experts, who have been training local forces in counter-terrorism, examined the scene after the explosion in Bansalan town late Friday.
At the same time more checkpoints are being set up in the area and released the sketch of the likely suspect who planted the bomb aboard the Weena bus.(PNA/Ben Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos(June 17, 2007 issue)Write letter to the editor. Click here.Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
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