Six officers from the North Cotabato Provincial Police Office received commendation today from Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo, for the quick resolution to the Rural Transit bus bombing that killed 11 people last week. Two suspects, identified as Ibrahim Macasulay Alimanan, alias Torex, and Allamin Samal, alias Shiang, were arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Cotabato City on Saturday. (See related story: Criminal complaint filed vs 2 suspects in Cotabato bus blast.) Complaints of multiple murders, multiple frustrated murders, and multiple attempted murders have been filed against Torex and Shiang. The awarded police officers were led by Supt. Alex Tagum, who heads the Investigation Task Group Rural Transit. The other awardees are:Supt. Joseph Semillano, chief of the Kabacan police; Chief Insp. Bernouli Abalos; Insp. Roni Cordero, deputy head of the intelligence office of the Cotabato PNP; Insp. Joan Resureccion, commander of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team; and Insp. Baltazar Corpuz, action officer of the Cotabato PNP.Robredo told the officers during the awarding ceremony that he was impressed at how quickly the police and intelligence units in North Cotabato resolved the case. Within 24 hours of the bombing on Thursday last week, the police already had a lead in their investigation. After 48 hours, arrests were made. Witnesses key to the case
The statement of the bus driver was vital in resolving the case, said Sr. Supt. Cornelio Salinas, chief of the Cotabato Provincial Police Office. The driver was able to identify one of the suspects after he was shown photos of “police characters" and wanted persons in North Cotabato, explained Salinas. The suspect turned out to be a 15-year-old boy residing at Barangay Arakan in Matalam, North Cotabato, who had a police record of an arrest last June 23 for motorcycle theft. He voluntarily yielded to authorities, and admitted to his participation in the crime, according to the local police. The boy said that on the morning of October 21, he met Torex and Shiang, who gave him a bag and told him to leave it inside a red bus bound for Tacurong City. He didn’t know a bomb was inside the bag, said the boy, who will be made a witness in the case. The bomb exploded minutes after the boy disembarked at the Poblacion of Matalam, killing eight people on the spot. Three more people died while being treated at a hospital. At least seven of over 20 injured passengers remain in critical condition, said Cotabato Governor Lala Talinio-Mendoza. One of them, identified as Guinaid Adam, a former manager of the People’s Transport Community, is reportedly under tight security at the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City. However, Adam is not in the list of suspects charged with the bombing, said Salinas. “If Adam was placed under heavy security, another unit, maybe, is after him. But he was not part of the bus bombing, according to our investigations," said Salinas At the moment, the 15-year old suspect-turned-witness has not been included in the list, either. Provincial prosecutor Jose Agerico de Guzman has yet to decide whether or not to include the boy in the charge sheet. The Cotabato Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office has not yet determined whether the boy acted with “discernment," or knowledge of the gravity of the crime he committed, said Sr. Insp. Joyce Birrey, North Cotabato PNP spokesperson. The Comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act (RA 9344) states that “if a child above 15 years but below 18 acted with discernment, such a child shall be subjected to the appropriate court proceedings."
MILF: 'They are fall guys'
For its part, however, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front claimed that some of the suspects arrested and charged for last week's deadly bus bombing had nothing to do with the blast, and were just fall guys. (See: MILF: 'Suspects' in bus bombing are fall guys)
In an article posted on the MILF website on Wednesday, an MILF political officer based in Kidapawan City also accused the police and military of allegedly torturing the suspects into admitting their role in the incident.—Malu Cadeliña Manar/LRS/JV
