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Suspect in Bukidnon bus bombing identified –police


Authorities have already identified a suspect in Tuesday night's bus bombing in Bukidnon province that killed 10 people and injured 31 others.

In a phone-patch interview on GMA News TV's “Balita Pilipinas,” Inspector Jiselle Longakit, spokesperson of the Bukidnon Provincial Police Office, said the suspect has been implicated in previous bus bombing incidents in the province.

She declined to identify the suspect pending results of the investigation.

When asked if authorities have any lead on the suspect, she said: “As of now, wala pa... Dahil patuloy pa ang investigation, at hindi pa matukoy kung ilang grupo ang implicated dito.”

The explosion occurred across Central Mindanao University, at a time when students were going home. Authorities earlier placed the number of fatalities at 11 but lowered it to 10 Wednesday noon.

It was the second bus bombing in Maramag town since November, both involving Rural Transit Mindanao, Inc. buses.

5 students killed

A separate report on GMA News TV's “Balitanghali” quoted Central Mindanao University spokesperson Bobby Visayan as saying that of the 10 fatalities, five were their students.

He noted that 14 students and two school staff were aboard the ill-fated bus.

Visayan said the university condemns the blast, adding that they have canceled their holiday activities to pay respects to the victims.

He said the budget for those activities, amounting to about P500,000, will be given to the  families of the victims as financial assistance instead.

Meanwhile, university authorities are mulling over the possible implementation of a school bus service that would shuttle students to and from their homes. —Amanda Fernandez/KBK, GMA News

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