Eleazar orders manhunt vs. Datu Piang, Maguindanao blast suspects

Philippine National Police chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday ordered a manhunt for the suspects behind the blast from an improvised explosive device in Datu Piang, Maguindanao on Saturday.

Eleazar also ordered the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident which led to eight people injured.

The victims were playing volleyball at the local town plaza when the blast occurred past 3 p.m.

“Inatasan ko na ang regional director ng PRO-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region na makipagtulungan sa local military forces hindi lamang sa pagsagawa ng manhunt sa mga taong responsable dito kundi pati na rin sa pagpapaigting ng seguridad sa Maguindanao at sa ilang mga lugar kung saan maaaring mangyari ang ganitong klaseng karahasan,” Eleazar said.

(I asked the regional director of PRO-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to coordinate with local military forces not only in the conduct of a manhunt for the suspects responsible for the incident, but also for the intensified security of Maguindanao and other areas where such an incident may happen.)

The PNP chief also appealed to residents to continue cooperating with the police to ensure security in the region.

"Nananawagan din tayo sa ating mga kababayan na patuloy na makipagtulungan sa inyong kapulisan dahil ang inyong pakiiisa ay mabisang sandata upang hindi mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang mga tao at grupo na maghasik ng karahasan sa ating bayan," he said.

(We also appeal to our countrymen to continue cooperating with your police force because your support is an effective weapon to ensure certain groups and individuals will not have an opportunity to sow violence in our country.)

According to the PNP, authorities are still checking if the IED was triggered using a cellular phone.

The eight victims were immediately brought to the hospital for treatment. One of them had serious shrapnel wounds.

Datu Piang Mayor Victor Samama said they learned that the group has allegedly previously received a threat.

“We just learned after the incident that this group had received a threat, a warning from radical group who are allergic to gays in public, which they kept secret to us,” Samama said.

The mayor said the Dawlah Islamiyah group is behind the attack, but investigation is still ongoing.

“I am confident these are the same group behind the attack. We are still investigating,” he said. —KG, GMA News