Blasts rock Cotabato City, Maguindanao — police
Army bomb experts check the site of the blast that occurred past 10 p.m. of May 12 a few meters from the Cotabato City Hall in Barangay Rosary Heights 10, Cotabato City. (Photos courtesy of Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., chief of Cotabato Mobile Force Company)
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Blasts hit this city and the town of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao hours before the start of polling on Monday, May 13, 2019, police said.
Two 40mm rifle grenades fired in succession from a distance exploded about 30 meters from the compound of the Cotabato City Hall in Barangay Rosary Heights 10 at past 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Hours later, at past 1 a.m. on Election Day, a powerful blast hit the municipal hall in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
Police Colonel Michael Lebanan, Cotabato City police director, said no one was hurt in the explosions but added that “it was clearly aimed at sowing fear among the electorate.”
This map shows the distance between Cotabato City and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao. Blasts hit both localities hours before the start of the midterm elections on Monday, May 13, 2019.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, two of which exploded near the children’s park of Barangay Rosary Heights 10.
The blast came hours before election paraphernalia were to be distributed to electoral board members in the city. The distribution of ballot boxes commenced at 3 a.m. and went on smoothly.
In Datu Odin Sinsuat, the blast hit the municipal hall compound, according to Colonel Ronald Briones, Maguindanao police director.
The explosion was captured by close circuit TV cameras. Bomb experts said the explosion was caused by a grenade.
Briones said two men on a motorcycle were captured by CCTV tossing something towards the municipal hall building before speeding away.
Briones believed the motive was to sow fear.
Distribution of election materials in the town continued as scheduled at 2 a.m. with the deployment of additional police and soldiers, Briones said. (Editor: Cenon B. Bibe Jr.)
