North Cotabato police have witness who can ID suspect in church grenade attack

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COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Police in North Cotabato have in custody a vital witness who could help solve the grenade attack on the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) in Pikit, North Cotabato, last week.

Senior Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police provincial director, told reporters on Monday that the witness, whom he did not identify, claimed he knew one of the two attackers, the driver of the motorbike whose back-rider fired a rifle grenade toward the UCCP Church in Poblacion Pikit on October 8.

Peralta said the motorbike driver was facing robbery charges filed in local courts in the province.

Peralta said investigation disclosed that the attackers were gun-for-hire and received the wrong information about the primary target of the grenade attack.

“Probably he got the wrong information about the target of the grenade attack, he just fired the rifle grenade into the Church,” said.

Two persons, a nurse and a teacher, were killed while three others were hurt in the attack. They were on a mid-week prayer meeting and were about to end the session when the grenade attack happened.

Peralta said appropriate charges would be filed against the suspects so warrants of arrest could be issued by the court.

Police said the suspects were eyeing one of the victims whose son used to be the police chief of Pikit. He refused to elaborate.

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