THE suspect in the bombing of a passenger bus in Maramag, Bukidnon has a pending arrest warrant for the August 2013 Cotabato City bombing that killed eight and wounded scores of individuals, authorities said Wednesday.
Senior Superintendent Glenn dela Torre, Bukidnon provincial police director, identified the suspect as Dawtin Gendang, who is also known by his other moniker as “Actor.”
Dela Torre told reporters during the visit of Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima at Camp Ernesto Alagar on November 12 that Gendang has an arrest warrant for the Cotabato bombing, which happened on August 5, 2013.
Earlier, Inspector Jose Regner Sevilleno, deputy chief of the Maramag municipal police, said the perpetrator, before his name was released to the media as the person behind the explosion of an improved explosive device (IED) inside the Rural Transit Mindanao Incorporated (RTMI) passenger bus on November 6, is a member of the terror group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
The Bukidnon police are coordinating with other law enforcement agencies to locate the suspect, who Dela Torre said is believed to be based in Maguindanao.
Dela Torre said the complaint against Gendang was filed before Prosecutor Rommel Alonto in Malaybalay City on Wednesday.
He said they would also file similar charges against the other suspects, especially the BIFF top leaders who Gendang got his orders from.
When asked about the previous report that the motive of the bombing is extortion, Dela Torre said it is linked to the terror act since groups like the BIFF need financial resources to bankroll their activities.
It can be recalled that Gendang was accused of carrying out the Cotabato bombing whose target was the convoy of Cotabato City Mayor Guiapal Guiani Jr.
At the time of the explosion, the car that was supposed to be used by Guiani was borrowed by his sister, City Administrator Cynthia Sayadi, who was conducting an assessment of the flood survivors in some of the city’s villages.
It was reported that prior to the bombing, Sayadi had been receiving death threats.
Although Sayadi survived the attack, one of his police escorts was killed.
Aside from the city official’s car, seven other vehicles were damaged in the explosion. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)