MAGUINDANAO PROVINCE – As the election nears, lawless elements have started to sow terror in this very controversial province, police reported yesterday.
This, as the province, was again terrorized by a grenade blast that scared many residents. The projectile of the blast resulted in the damage of an old mosque.
But Colonel Jibin Bongcayao, police director of Maguindanao, said all police units in the province have been alerted and they have also beefed security in government properties and installations, including other mosques that may be the target of the lawless groups and bandits operating in the province.
Jibin told reporters they are now conducting massive investigations on the recent bomb scares that happened in the province this month.
“Additional police personnel was deployed and more roadblocks were set up around the town,” Jibin said in a statement Friday.
Investigation disclosed that unidentified criminals sneaked near the mosque and fired an M79 grenade launcher toward the town government center at Barangay Poblacion around 8 pm.
The explosive device landed at the dome of the mosque but fortunately, no lives were hurt in the incident.
It was learned that the explosive device was lobbed at the compound, just beside the office of the Commission on Elections. “This is unfortunate because a holy place was partially damaged,” he added.
“We could not say this early if it is election-related but we are not discounting that,” Muza told reporters on Friday. We could not say this early if it is election-related but we are not discounting that,” Muza said
Muza said the suspects would have been aiming at the police office in retaliation to the recent arrest of a highway robber.
“I suspect that the grenade was, maybe intended for the police,” he said. (PNA)
