Bukidnon bus explosion may be an act of terrorism – AFP spokesman

(Updated 4:34 p.m.) The bus explosion in Barangay Mus-wan in Maramag town in Bukidnon that killed 10 people and injured 31 others on Tuesday may have been an act of terrorism, the spokesman for the Philippine military said Wednesday.

 

The explosion occurred across Central Mindanao University, at a time when students were going home. Four of the fatalities were students.

Authorities earlier placed the number of fatalities at 11 but lowered it to 10 Wednesday noon.

 

When asked if there were any signs of terrorism on the incident, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Resty Padilla told GMA News TV's News To Go: "May indication."

A separate report on “News To Go,” meanwhile, quoted Bukidnon Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri Jr. as saying that extortion may be the motive behind the bombing, adding that the bus firm Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. had been receiving extortion demands from groups but had never reported it to authorities.

It was the second bombing of a bus in Maramag town since November. On November 6, four people were injured in an explosion inside another RTMI bus.

For his part, Armed Forces information chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said the military will support law enforcement agencies in investigating the incident.

"Terrorism cannot be justified on any ground or for any purpose. The Filipino people must strongly condemn every act of terrorism and senseless violence against our fellowmen," Cabunoc said.

Dead and injured


Extremist group

 

Padilla explained that an extremist group may be behind the incident as an improvised explosive device was found to have been used in the bombing of the Rural Transit Mindanao Inc. bus.

 

"Ilan lang [ang] may kakayahan gumawa (ng IED), and most of them ay sa extremist group sa lugar na 'yan at iba pang lugar sa Mindanao," he said without naming the extremist group.

 

Padilla added that an initial investigation showed that unexploded rounds of mortar used by some military and police personnel in the field may have been used to make the IED.

 

"Malaki ang posibilidad na mula yan sa explosive ordinance na napulot sa field," Padilla admitted.

 

He, however, assured that efforts are made to recover all unexploded IED in the field. "Ang mga rounds na 'yan karamihan na-recover," he added.

 

Meanwhile, he added that a group may be targeting the bus company as it was the second bombing of its bus since November.

 

At the time, the Philippine National Police Operations Center said the RTMI bus was on its way to Cagayan de Oro City from Tacurong City when the explosion occurred at 12:15 p.m. — Amanda Fernandez/RSJ/NB, GMA News