Twin blasts hit Cotabato; Robredo, ARMM nominees safe

Two explosions rocked Cotabato City on Tuesday where a convoy of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and nominees for temporary Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) posts were supposed to pass by. No one was hurt in the incident, authorities said. In a text message to GMA News Online, Robredo confirmed his convoy was supposed to pass by the road where the blasts happened but rerouted on the last minute. "We diverted our route because of the traffic... but I am okay," Robredo said. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) was among the first to break the news about the blasts on its Twitter account, saying: "Two explosions hit Cotabato" at around 2 p.m. Col. Manuel Luis Ochoterna, spokesperson and deputy commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the "successive" explosions happened at about 12:15 p.m. along Sinsuat Avenue. The blasts, which came from 81-mm mortars based on initial investigation, happened beside the Notre Dame Hospital and just across the regional hospital of Soccsksargen. "Wala namang tinamaan dahil pumutok ito ng 12:15 p.m. so walang gaanong dumadaan ba na mga tao at kahit mga vehicle, so walang mga tinamaan," Ochoterna said. Apart from Robredo, also included in the convoy were gubernatorial and vice-gubernatorial nominees. The nominees were scheduled to attend a public forum about their respective bids in the regional posts. The DILG assured that Robredo and the ARMM OIC nominees were not harmed. "Sec. Robredo and the rest of ARMM Regional Governors and VGovernors nominees safe from the explosion in Cotabato," the DILG said on Twitter. The DILG earlier said it has received more than 300 applications for the 26 OIC posts, 51 of them are from applicants eyeing to become regional governor. Among the 51 people vying for the ARMM-OIC gubernatorial post are Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, acting ARMM Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong, former ARMM Gov. Zacarias Candao, and former DILG deputy minister Saidamen Pangarungan. Available posts are for governor, vice governor, and 24 representatives of the Regional Legislative Assembly. The ARMM is made up of the provinces of Basilan (except Isabela City), Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. — RSJ, GMA News