Maguindanao roadside bombing kills cop, driver; hurts 4 others

COTABATO CITY –– A police officer and a civilian were killed in a roadside bombing in Maguindanao on Thursday night.

Slain in the explosion of a suspected cellphone-triggered improvised explosive device were Police M/Sgt. Antonio Balasa and the civilian identified only as Bobby, the driver of a police patrol car.

The blast injured Sgt. Larry Amoran, Staff Sgt Guerrero Domingo, Corporals Guia Mangrag, and Clyde Peria, all belonging to the 2nd Police Mobile Force Company.

Peria suffered serious shrapnel injuries and was rushed to the Cotabato Regional Medical Center in Cotabato City.

The victims were on board a police patrol car heading to Camp Akilan Ampatuan, headquarters of the Maguindanao police provincial office in Shariff Aguak town when a roadside bomb went off about 8:30 p.m.

Anwar Emblawa, the town administrator, said responding members of Shariff Aguak police rushed the victims to the Maguindanao provincial hospital in Datu Hoffer town, about 800 meters from the blast site.

Emblawa said Mayor Marop Ampatuan has offered an undetermined amount of reward money for anybody who could provide information leading to the identification, arrest, and prosecution of the suspects.

Colonel Arnold Santiago, Maguindanao police director, said an investigation is still going on to establish the motive and identity of the perpetrators.

LZB