Unidentified gunmen attack 8th school in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY—Another school in Maguindanao was bombed by still unidentified gunmen on Tuesday night.

It was the eighth school bombed since last week, sending fears among members of the board of election inspectors for Monday’s balloting.

Senior Insp. Esmael Madin, town police chief of Sultan Kudarat in Maguindanao, said the rifle grenade explosion happened at the Sandakan daycare center in Barangay Dalumangcob past 8 p.m. at the height of heavy downpour. The daycare center is one of the identified polling centers on Election Day.

Sultan Kudarat is adjacent to Sultan Mastura town where last week seven schools were attacked with rifle grenades, hand grenades and fired at by still unidentified gunmen.

“We are looking at other motives, but we consider this election-related,” Madin told reporters.

“Apparently, the suspects wanted to instill fear among board of election inspectors. The fact is the town has a huge voting population.”

Madin said the attackers positioned at the back portion of the school and used motorbikes as getaway vehicles.

Rosalaine Cabales, a teacher at Sandakan Elementary School who will serve as a BEI, said she might not serve on Monday.

“I have reservations. I have second thoughts, unless our security is assured, I may not serve,” she told reporters.

More troops from the 37^th Infantry Battalion have been deployed in Sultan Mastura and Sultan Kudarat, both in Maguindanao’s first district. Both towns were not listed by the Commission on Elections as “areas of immediate concern.” RC