KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 1 May) – The city government has offered a P100,000 reward for the arrest of suspects behind the bomb explosion beside a Catholic church and another foiled attack at a convenience store here on Sunday.
The blast site, near the side entrance of the Christ the King Cathedral. MindaNews photo
City Mayor said the reward money was aimed to help speed up the ongoing investigation and law enforcement operations against personalities who were tagged as directly behind the incident.
“We’re giving this reward to anybody who can be able to help resolve this case,” he said in a press conference on Monday night.
He said the local government is hoping that the reward offer will help the case to “move vigorously” and facilitate its early resolution.
The mayor specifically cited the arrest of several “persons of interest” who were identified by investigators in connection with the attack.
Two persons were slightly wounded in a noontime bomb blast on Sunday near the side entrance gate of the Christ the King Cathedral along Rizal Street here.
Another explosive was later recovered in front of the 747 convenience store along General Santos Drive and was detonated by responding personnel from the South Cotabato police’s explosives ordnance disposal unit.
Based on materials recovered at the blast site, the bomb was made of firecracker powder mixed with small nails and a mobile phone as triggering device.
In both instances, police said witnesses have tagged an unidentified woman as the carrier of the explosive.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, Region 12 regional director, lauded the local government’s reward offer to help expedite the resolution of the incident.
He assured that they will continue to exert all efforts to ensure that the case will be resolved the soonest possible time as ordered by Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde.
The PNP chief visited the city on Monday afternoon to personally inspect the blast site as well as the scene of the foiled attack and assess the ongoing investigation. (MindaNews)
