Sara Duterte welcomes arrests of Davao blast suspects

DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte on Friday welcomed the  arrests of the suspects in the September 2 night market explosion here that killed 15 people and injured 69 others.

“It is, however, important for us to remember that the arrest must ultimately lead us to the dismantling of terror groups in our midst or result in the failure of more senseless acts of violence and extremism,” Duterte said in a staterment.

Earlier, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement that the suspects in the night market blast had been arrested but did not provide additional details.

READ: AFP: Suspects in Davao market bombing arrested

But also on Friday, the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said it has arrested a businessman in Cotabato City and seized bombs from his house.

READ: Bombs seized from businessman’s house in Cotabato City

Chief Inspector Allan Uy, CIDG-ARMM spokesperson, said tarp and sticker print shop owner Teng Macabalang, in his 60s, was arrested on the strength of a court warrant during the 2 a.m. search of his house in Barangay (village) Rosary Heights in Cotabato City.

Uy said seized from Macabalang’s house were an 81-millimeter mortar shell, a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shell, detonating cord, hand held radio, improvised switch circuit, cellphone, blasting cap, a plastic container of ice cream and assorted firearms and ammunition.

“These bombs were ready to be set off,” Uy said, adding that they were looking at the possibility the suspect was involved in bomb attacks in Central Mindanao and other areas.

It was not clear whether or not the Davao bomb suspects being referred to by the military included Macabalang.

Macabalang’s son, TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, who also ran a sticker and tarpaulin business, went missing on October 4 along with his staff, identified as Wendel Factoral.

The duo were reportedly abducted by armed masked men while meeting a client for a buy-and-sell business.

Duterte said the arrests of the Davao bombing suspects “[do] not end our desire to give justice to the victims and those whose lives were forever changed by that horrendous act of terrorism on the night of September 2 in our beloved city.”

“Let us continue to be vigilant and show the world that we do not surrender to fear nor do we allow terrorism to cripple our humanity and undermine our values,” she said. RAM/rga