AUTHORITIES are looking into extortion as the primary motive in the bombing in a restaurant in Sultan Kudarat that wounded 18 persons, a police official said Thursday, April 4.
“Initial investigation shows that the motive behind the incident was extortion,” Police Regional Office 12 (Soccsksargen) Director Brigadier General Eliuseo Rasco said.
He said the restaurant’s owner received a text message demanding extortion money from them.
But Rasco said they will still consider terrorism as another motive in the blast.
Rasco said he ordered the creation of Special Investigation Task Group Carlito, which will conduct an in-depth and fast investigation on the incident.
The blast happened around 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, when an improvised explosive device went off in front of Carlito’s Chicken restaurant in Barangay Kalawag 2 in Isulan.
Three children and a six-month pregnant woman were among those wounded in the incident.
Rasco also ordered his men in the area to beef up security operations, particularly the conduct of patrolling and checkpoint. (SunStar Philippines)