KORONADAL CITY (May 28) – Police here announced the arrest of two men believed to be behind the April 29 bombing that injured two persons.
Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, police regional director for the SOCCSKSARGEN region, presented the suspected bombers identified as Skarno Paidumama alas Karno Uttoc and Alihan Masangkay Adtog.
Morales said the police were able to trail the suspects using the profiles captured by CCTV cameras, while the suspects left the explosive at a parked motorbike outside the Christ the King Cathedral.
Another CCTV camera also captured Sukarno leaving behind a powerful improvised explosive device in front of 747 convenience store along GenSan drive.
The bomb beside the cathedral went off at past 12 noon while the IED in the convenience store was deactivated by police bomb experts.
Morales said the two suspects were nabbed during drug buy bust operations in King’s compound, Barangay Gen. Paulino Santos, Koronadal City at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Sukarno is a resident of Barangay Bulod, Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao while Adtog, who allegedly drove the motorbike in the bombing, is a resident of Barangay Pimbalayan, Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat.
According to Morales, witnesses have pointed to the two as responsible in the bombing and a CCTV footage corroborated witnesses’ accounts.
During Saturday’s drug buy bust, police and intelligence agents seized from Sukarno and Adtog three sachets of suspected shabu, a fragmentation grenade, a .45 caliber pistol, marked money, sling bags and a motorbike.
Both have been charged for violation of RA 9165 (Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and 10591 for possession illegal drugs, firearms and explosives. -Edwin O. Fernandez/NewsLine.ph