Hataman downplays Cotabato City bombing

MANILA, Philippines – Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao Governor Mujiv Hataman on Tuesday downplayed the bombing in Cotabato City where eight people were killed and 40 others were injured.

Hataman, who was elected ARMM governor in the elections last May after serving in OI capacity since 2011, asked people not to jump to any conclusions while evading questions on whether the bombing may be related to the United States’ worldwide terror alert. He also did not say if it had anything to do with the ongoing peace talks of the government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

“Meron tayong worldwide alert. Meron tayong nangyari sa Cagayan. Meron tayong nangyari sa Cotabato pero ako at this point in time ayoko pang mag-conclude na related to each other ang nangyari. (We have a worldwide alert. There was [a bombing] in Cagayan. There was [a bombing] in Cotabato but at this point I do not want to conclude that they are related to each other,” Hataman said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

Hataman also said Cotabato City administrator Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi should not have immediately claimed that she was the target of the attack.

“[I]n the interest of justice dapat antayin natin ang result at final conclusion ng investigation (In the interest of proof and in the interest of justice we should wait for the result and final conclusion of the investigation,” he said.

Asked what the national government and the ARMM could do to assure the public of their safety, Hataman merely said that security was the responsibility of both the state and the public.

“Ang pinaka-efficient na security measure ay active participation ng mga citizens [The most efficient security measure in the active participation of the citizens],” he said.

Despite being the governor of the region, Hataman admitted that he was not privy to the investigation and was not able to share much information on the facts surrounding the blast. Kristine Angeli Sabillo

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