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COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/16 August) – The death toll in Monday’s car bomb explosion in Tacurong City has risen to two as Maguindanao Board Member Russman “Russ” Quesada Sinsuat expired at 12:17 a.
m. at the Sultan Kudarat Doctors’ Hospital in Tacurong, Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said.
Mangudadatu told MindaNews in a telephone interview that Sinsuat’s son, Russman Jr., survived but his right leg was amputated. Five others are still in the hospital for treatment of injuries.
Sinsuat won the second highest number of votes in the May 2010 elections, garnering 83,435 votes.
He ran under the Bagumbayan Volunteers for a New Philippines (B.
Bayan-VNP).
The Sinsuats’ black Toyota Fortuner was the third in a seven-vehicle convoy en route to the governor’s resort for his 43rd birthday celebration when a white Kia vehicle laden with an improvised bomb and parked along the highway, exploded as the convoy passed.
Mangudadatu said the bomb, which exploded “5 to 7 seconds after we passed,” was intended for him. He said he was in the lead car and was about 15 meters away when the bomb exploded. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)
