4 cops cheat death in Bukidnon bomb blast

ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte, Philippines — Four police officers cheated death in an explosion of an improvised bomb Tuesday in Cabanglasan town in Bukidnon province.

Col. Roel L. Lami-ing, chief of the Bukidnon Police Provincial office, said the officers, members of the Cabanglasan Municipal Police Station, were aboard a patrol car going to Barangay Cabuloha. They were going to investigate a grenade attack that took place there on Monday night. The attack injured two cops at a quarantine checkpoint.

As they go to a place somewhere between Barangay Mandaing and Barangay Anlugan, at around 11 a.m., a bomb hidden among some plants exploded.

No one was hurt among the police officers, and they were able to fire at several men who fled towards a creek in Barangay Mandaing.

Lami-ing suspects that the perpetrators are  New People’s Army rebels.

Immediately after the blast, Lami-ing deployed two teams to pursue the fleeing perpetrators.

Other police stations were also alerted and ordered to help in the pursuit operations.

Lami-ing said investigators had also coordinated with the military regarding the incident.

/atm