ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat — The provincial government has offered a PHP1-million reward for the arrest of individuals behind the bomb attack here on Tuesday night that left two persons dead and more than 30 others wounded.
Gov. Sultan Pax Mangudadatu said Wednesday the reward money will be given to anyone who can provide information that would lead to the arrest of “all those behind” the deadly blast.
Mangudadatu said the local government will provide all the necessary resources to speed up the resolution of the case.
“Let’s all pray that these perpetrators will be captured soon,” he told reporters after visiting the wounded victims at the provincial hospital here.
Mangudadatu strongly condemned the incident, which happened three days before the culmination of the town’s 7th Hamungaya Festival and the province’s 61st foundation anniversary celebration.
He said the incident was “very painful” for the province and called it a “barbaric act perpetrated by animals.”
The explosion occurred at around 8:34 p.m. near the “ukay-ukay” stalls located in front of the J&H Marketing along the national highway in Barangay Kalawag 3.
A police report said an “unidentified suspect approached two unsuspecting CAA (Cafgu Active Auxiliary) members posted in the area and slowly planted an IED (improvised explosive device) placed inside a black bag under a parked motorcycle.”
Two more explosives were recovered near the blast site and later disarmed by responding explosive ordnance disposal personnel.
The governor said the provincial government will shoulder all the medical needs of the wounded victims and assist the families of fatalities Davy Shane Alayon, 7, of Bagumbayan town and Lenie Ombrog, 52, of Barangay Sampao here.
As of noon, at least 22 of the wounded individuals remained in various hospitals here and in the cities of Tacurong and General Santo while 15 others had already been discharged.
Victim Welmark John Lapidez, 23, who was listed in critical condition, was transferred Wednesday morning to the General Santos Doctor’s Hospital.
“We’re planning to transfer those remaining who are in serious condition to private hospitals that have more complete facilities,” Mangudadatu said.
Meantime, Isulan Mayor Marites Pallasigue said they canceled all the remaining activities of the festivity due to security concerns.
Pallasigue said they will just hold a simple anniversary mass and prayer for the victims at the municipal gymnasium.
“We made this decision upon consultations with our barangay and school officials, and our military and police authorities,” Pallasigue said. (Alejandro Saludo and Allen Estabillo/PNA)
