Mall bombing suspects charged

COTABATO CITY – Police on Wednesday filed charges against two suspects in connection with the Dec. 31, 2018 blast at the facade of the South Seas Mall here that killed two persons and injured more than 30 others.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, director of the Philippine National Police Regional Office 12, said that two counts of murder and 34 counts of frustrated murder charges have been filed against suspects Salipudin Lauban Pasandalan, of Barangay Upper Capiton, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, who has been arrested, and a certain Saed Nur Kasim, who is still at large, of Barangay Dalican, Datu Odin Sinsuat.

The Special Investigation Task Group South Seas filed the charges before the office of Prosecutor Anwar Masacal of the Cotabato City Prosecutor’s Office here shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Authorities said the suspects planted two improvised explosive devices, one of which exploded, at the facade of the mall at around 2 p.m. The other bomb was found and disarmed by military bomb disposal experts near the second floor baggage counter of the mall.

Rasco said the latest bombing incident posed a challenge to the peace and order situation in Region 12 but countermeasures have been immediately implemented to address the problem and prevent its recurrence.

“We conducted meeting with other law enforcement agencies, local executives, and stakeholders to prevent or once and for all stop this incident from happening again in the future,” he said.

Rasco also asked communities to be extra vigilant and report to them any suspicious activity that poses a threat to security.

“We need everybody to report to our law enforcers any suspicious looking person and any bags or backpacks or anything left unattended,” he said.