6-year-old girl dead, mom injured in Maguindanao grenade blast

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MANILA, Philippines—A six-year-old girl died and her mother was injured following a grenade explosion near a Comelec registration center in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, Monday afternoon, the military said.

Colonel Prudencio Asto, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division, said two suspects aboard a blue motorcycle hurled an MK2 hand grenade into a sari-sari (variety) store in Kulyo village, some 10 meters away from the designated registration center in Timbangan village.

Agata Pangilan, 6, died, while her mother, Samera Pangilan, 27, was wounded, Asto said.

“Iyong namatay ‘yong bata, ‘yong six years old. Pero ‘yong nanay slightly wounded lang (The child, who was six years old, died. The mother was slightly wounded,” said Colonel Mayoralgo dela Cruz, Commander of the Army’s 1st Mechanized Brigade.

“Nakausap ko na nga kanina ‘yong nanay at binigyan ko rin ng kahit papano ng kaunting financial assistance,” said Dela Cruz.

But Dela Cruz downplayed that the attack was a related to the ongoing registration, saying that personal grudge could be behind the attack.

He maintained that the registration of voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was “generally peaceful” so far in Maguindanao.

Registration in the ARMM started on July 9 and will be held until July 19.