DAVAO CITY (August 29)— One person died while 34 were wounded including two soldiers and a CAFGU, when an improvised explosive device exploded at about 8:40 in the evening August 28, along the national highway in Barangay Kalawag, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.
Isulan Municipal Mayor Marites Pallasigue in an interview with Newsline.ph revealed “We are celebrating our 61st Founding Anniversary and our 7th Hamungaya Festival, and this happened.”
Pallasigue revealed one is confirmed dead, another was in critical condition was immediately sent to General Santos while 34 others were wounded, But two have been released by the hospital.
The lone fatality was identified as Lenie Ombrog. She died at the Holy Nazarene Hospital.
Pallasigue said two soldiers and a CAFGU were wounded as they tried to run after the suspects who placed the bombed under a parked motorbike in a row of “Ukay-ukay” stalls.
One bomb exploded, two were recovered and detonated while a motorbike which was left at 4:00 pm near the municipal hall was subjected to EOD inspection “We don’t take chances,” Pallasigue told Newsline.
According to Pallasigue, this year’s celebration was planned to be simple “We were very careful with our security measures,” Pallasigue revealed.
A witness who was just near Carlito’s eatery told Newsline “Pauwi na kami, Nagtaka kami kasi parang may hinabul, seconds lang pumutok na, ang lakas, nag shake ang ground, parang may lindol at umalingawngaw na ang baho ng pulbura, tapos nagkagulo na, tumakbo na rin kami.”
Intelligence report
“For the first time, we adopted a very tight security measure because two weeks ago, two bomb suspects who were caught red handed in 2016 was allowed by the Isulan court to post bail, we were surprised but we cannot question the decisionof the judge, dalawa talaga ang kaba-bail,” Pallasigue told Newsline.
When the news broke off that the suspects posted a bail, “Kumalat ang text messages, people were asking why naka-bail, kinabahan na ako, hindi na ako kampante, kaya grabe na ang security namin. So, first time namin na nag ask ng full assistance as military, sa SAF, sa EOD, sa police and other law enforcement agencies about for our activities, pero nangyari ito.”
She revealed that the soldiers and a CAFGU confronted the suspects who left a bag “Sinita ng CAFGU at ng military pero tumakbo ito, kaya tinamaan CAFGU at ang dalawang.”
The event
As of 12:00 midnight August 29, Pallasigue, Vice Mayor Lord Den Castillo, military and police officials and other members of the Crisis Managment Committee were still holding a conference at the command center.
“We will assess the situation, we will decided if we will continue the activities for our anniversary.
The Festivities is set until August 30, but, according to Pallasigue, she will wait for the decision of the committee “Hindi ko pa alam kung ano ang next plan, ipatuloy pa ba o i-cancel namin because of the incident.”
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She is also asking the people to Pray for Isulan.-Editha Z. Caduaya/NewsLine.ph
