PNP chief orders pursuit of Maguindanao bus bombers

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is mobilizing all its available forces to identify and pursue those behind a bus bombing on Sunday in Parang, Maguindanao.

“While we express our heartfelt sympathy to the wounded, we assure them of our keen resolve and commitment to bring to justice those responsible for this uncivil attack on persons,” PNP chief Gen. Dinardo Carlos said in a statement on Monday.

“A thorough investigation including the review of CCTVs for identification of the person behind the IED [improvised explosive device] explosion was initiated to possibly identify any Person of Interest (POI),” he added.

Carlos had also ordered the Bangsamoro Police Regional Office to intensify checkpoint operations, police visibility patrols, and focused intelligence and law enforcement operations to arrest and identify the culprits behind the bombing.

He then called on the public to relay any information that may help police to pinpoint those responsible for the bombing and prevent any similar incident from happening again.

According to the PNP, an IED went off in the back of a Rural Bus Tour with body number 10738 bound for Dipolog City from General Santos City at around 6:40 a.m. on Sunday along the national highway in Parang, Maguindanao.

The explosion injured four of 23 passengers who were immediately taken to the nearest hospital.

As of this writing, two have already been discharged and the other two are now in a stable condition at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.

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