NORTH COTABATO – A five-old old boy was killed while six others were injured after an improvised explosive device exploded on a passenger bus in Aleosan town Tuesday morning, Jan. 11.
Police identified the fatality as Benjamin Solaiman, a resident of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
The injured victims were identified as Haron Solaiman Jr., 5 months old and Yushra Solaiman 3, both siblings of Benjamin, Rodolfo R. Castillo, 67, of Toril Davao City; Lester Alkane Bautista, 17, and a resident of Poblacion, Pikit, Cotabato, Haron Solaiman Sr., 24, and a resident of Kidapawan City and Masid Benjamin,25, and a resident of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
P/Captain Arvin John Cambang, Aleosan Police chief, said the passenger bus owned by Mindanao Star Inc. was traversing along the national highway in Barangay San Mateo, Aleosan on its way to Cotabato City from Davao City when the explosive packed inside a baggage went off past 8 a.m. on Tuesday.
Witnesses told police an unidentified suspect boarded the bus in Pikit town and left the baggage after he disembarked from the bus in Aleosan National High School.
Cambang said police investigators are still collating pieces of evidence including the CCTV footage of the bus to establish the identity of the suspect.
PB/Gen. Alexander Tagum, police regional director, has condemned the terror attack which victimized only innocent civilians but including minors.
He also ordered of additional policemen in the area to thwart possible terror attacks amid the imposition of the election gun ban which began last Sunday.