NORTH UPI, Maguindanao — Local officials of this town have appealed to the public to be vigilant and help prevent crimes and violence following the grenade attack that hurt a police officer on duty and another blast that injured members of Philippine Marines on Saturday dawn.
Mayor Ramon Piang appealed to the public not to allow saboteurs to disrupt the peace and order of this town in Maguindanao.
“To all Upians (people of Upi), please let us not allow anyone to destroy the prevailing peace and order condition of our town,” Piang said following the twin blast that hurt eight government forces.
“Let us work with Task Force Upi and the local government. Be agents of peace and be vigilant in our surroundings,” he added.
PO2 Esmael Alabat, a member of Upi town police force, was seriously injured when a rifle grenade fired from M-203 rifle from a distance landed at the roadside police outpost at about 12:15 a.m. Saturday.
Senior Supt. Agustin Tello, Maguindanao police provincial director, said Alabat was one of the police officers assigned with the 1st Maneuver Platoon of the Provincial Public Safety Company.
Alabat sustained shrapnel injuries in the head and body and is now recuperating at a private hospital here.
Members of the Philippine Marines had just provided security to police personnel and bomb experts in the post-blast investigation and were heading for home base when a roadside improvised bomb was detonated by still unidentified suspects at about 1 a.m. on the same day.
The soldiers were heading towards Barangay Mirab when the explosion occurred hurting Major Romulo Ducay, Corporals Ryan Cabual, Arnel Jiun, Oliver Albo, Alvin Sangadan and Privates 1st Class Johnny Panday and Gerwin Perez all of the 5th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT-5).
The injured Marines are now confined at Camp Siongco Hospital inside the Army’s 6th Infantry Division headquarters situated in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and military officials are still determining the perpetrators’ identities and their group affiliation. (PNA)
