Persons of interest eyed in Sultan Kudarat bus blast which led to 1 dead, 11 hurt

Police are looking into some persons of interest who may have been involved in an explosion inside a passenger bus in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat on Sunday morning, a police official said.

"May tinitingnan na tayong mga person of interest. Pero pababayaan muna natin sir na makumpleto ang pagkakalap ng mga ebidensiya at mga statement lalo na ang mga pagkuha natin ng physical evidence para makita po natin, ma-compare natin sa mga nagdaang pangyayari dito sa Tacurong," Police Colonel Rogelio Raymundo Jr., deputy regional director for operation of Police Regional Office-XII (PRO-12), said in an interview on Dobol B TV on Monday.

(We have some persons of interest. However, we will first complete the collection of evidence and statements so we can compare with previous incidents in Tacurong.)

"Labing-isa ang sugatan natin. Isa ang patay," said Raymundo, also the head of the special investigation task force looking into the incident.

(Eleven were injured. One died.)

The bus, a unit of the Yellow Bus Line, came from Kidapawan City and was on its way to the Tacurong Public Terminal when the incident occurred at 11:30 a.m. There were 34 passengers on board the bus at the time.

"Doon sa 11 [na sugatan], ang lima ay outpatients na. 'Yung anim, nasa ospital pa at patuloy na inoobserbahan," Raymundo said.

(Of the 11 injured, five are now outpatients. The remaining six are still at the hospital and are under observation.)

Police recovered two improvised explosive devices (IED) from the scene on Sunday. One was still intact and was diffused by authorities.

"'Yung isa, sumabog at isa ay naagapan, na-diffuse agad natin," Raymundo said.

(One exploded and the other one was diffused immediately.)

The recovered unexploded IED was placed inside a small container and had as trigger an analog cellphone, he added. 

The metal fragments were from spokes of bicycles or motorcycles, Raymundo said.

The police official confirmed that in May this year, there was also an explosion in another unit of the Yellow Bus Line in Koronadal City.

Raymundo said one possible motive they are looking into is extortion.

He also said the modus operandi in Sunday's bus blast seems to be the same as the one in the incident last May.

Raymundo said one of the groups that may have been involved is the Daulah Islamiyah, but there may be other terrorist groups that may have been involved.

Authorities have tightened security at municipal and city borders following the incident.

Among the measures taken is the installation of mobile checkpoints aside from the usual checkpoints, Raymundo said. —KG, GMA Integrated News