Fire hits LP headquarters in Sultan Kudarat, no one hurt—police

COTABATO CITY — Unidentified men on Wednesday night set afire the provincial headquarters of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party in Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao but no casulaty was reported, the police said Thursday.

Senior Inspector Robert Papa, Sultan Kudarat town chief, said armed men razed the building owned by Ressie Torres in Barangay Bulalo, which borders this city and the town, around 7:15 p.m.

Reelectionist Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu is the LP’s bet in the gubernatorial race against Tocao Mastura, who is also provincial party chairman of the United Nationalist Alliance.

The town is considered a stronghold of the Mastura’s, having been alternately governed by family members for decades now.

Papa said they were still investigating who was responsible for the incident but an enraged Mastura said it was apparent there were efforts to link him to the incident this early.

“We could not possibly secure all of Sultan Kudarat even if they say it is our territory. Besides, the place of the incident is only a bridge away from Cotabato City, where the suspects could have easily fled into,” he told a radio station.

Mastura, the town’s mayor, also said the incident was apparently aimed at embarrassing him and the culprits obviously wanted to paint him as a leader, who cannot protect his people even inside his own turf.