Explosion rocks front of school in North Cotabato

MIDSAYAP, North Cotabato – An improvised explosive device went off outside a school here, which was among those designated as polling areas in Monday’s elections.

No one was harmed in the explosion.

Town police chief Supt. Gilbert Tuzon said it was still uncertain if the blast, which occurred at 8:15 a.m. outside the Datu Dimaudtang Dilangalen Elementary School in Barangay Tugal, was related to the polls.

The investigation, according to Tuzon, showed that the explosive was fashioned from an 81-millimeter mortar shell and appeared to have been remotely detonated based on the recovered broken mobile phone from where it went off.

He said witnesses had told investigators that a man, named Rasul Dubpaleg, an alleged member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), had planted the explosive. Dubpaleg remained at large.

“We are still determining if it was related to Monday’s elections since it was planted in front of the school,” Supt. Bernard Tayong, spokesperson of the North Cotabato police, said.