1 dead, 5 hurt in Cotabato blast

COTABATO CITY — A 53-year-old woman was killed while several others were rushed to nearby hospitals on Wednesday after a bomb exploded near a bus stop in Barangay Sibsib, Tulunan, North Cotabato.

Police identified the the victim as Gina Paunon, a resident of Barangay Cajelo, Tulunan. Five others were wounded, including an 11-year-old child.

Bus driver Melvin Lumayag said he was about to drop a passenger near the ticket booth when he heard a loud explosion near the bus.

Former Cotabato board member Socrates Pinol, who happened to be in the area, awitnessed the explosion.

“Had I stayed at the nearby back part of the bus, I might be hit, a thick smoke was [the] first I saw after the explosion,” he said on Facebook.

Pinol said the bomb could have been left at the waiting shed area.

Police are still conducting post-blast investigation to identify the type of explosive used. Some businesses in the area opted to close early following the incident.

On Tuesday, a roadside bomb exploded in South Upi, Maguindanao, killing a motorcycle rider.

A few minutes later, another bomb was found hidden near the market area several meters away from the site of the earlier explosion.

Joint Task Force Central spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Anhouvic Atilano tagged the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as the likely suspects behind the attack.

North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco condemned the recent bombing and urged everyone to cooperate in the investigation.

“Isa itong kalapastangan 'di lamang sa batas, ngunit lalo na sa karapatang pantao ng bawat mamamayan. Hindi na ito dapat maulit pa,” she said. —KBK, GMA News