4 hurt in Cotabato City blast; MILF blamed

KIDAPAWAN, Philippines - Four women were injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) went off outside a Bingo gaming center along a busy street in Cotabato City in the southern Philippines at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the military said. The area is just a block away from a branch of fast-food chain Jollibee and few meters away from Agong Lodging House where another IED exploded on Tuesday night, injuring the inn’s manager and his assistant. Col. Jonathan Ponce, chief of civil military operations and spokesman for the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, identified the injured as Maricel Aman Basea, 22; Norberta Carbonel Adam, 48; and Cherry Mundai Samanodi, 49, all residents of Datu Piang, Maguindanao. The fourth victim has yet to be identified. Ponce said authorities recovered from the crime scene a blasting cap, believed to be part of the IED that exploded. Ponce said the latest attack in Cotabato was apparently a retaliatory strike against offensives earlier launched by the military against the group of Ameril Umbra Kato, a rogue leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). On Sunday, the 6th ID intensified its hunt against Kato and attacked his known bases in Maguindanao. “The attacks were in retaliation to the ongoing law enforcement operations against Kato. What is unfortunate is that, this group is targeting innocent civilians purposely to sow terror," said Ponce in a radio interview. The IED explosion took place at least seven hours after authorities foiled a bomb attempt in Pikit town, some two hours travel north from Cotabato City. The IED, placed inside a hand bag, was discovered by a saleslady of the Filipinas Grocery Center located at the Pikit public market. Operatives of the 66th Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Team led by Sgt. Joseph Sahilid immediately defused the bomb. Inspector Elias Dandan, chief of Pikit PNP, hinted extortion was behind the bomb attempt. Grocery store owner Cecilia Filipinas-Coles told authorities she has been receiving extortion threats from a group that identified themselves as Al Khobar. - Malu Cadelina Manar, GMANews.TV