GENERAL SANTOS CITY- The Police Regional Office-12 has deployed police marshals in public transport terminals and passenger buses to deter terror attacks following bomb attack on a passenger bus in Koronadal City, South Cotabato last May 26 which injured a tricycle driver and his passenger.
Brig. Gen. Alexander Tagum, police regional director, said the deployment of police marshals was aimed at ensuring the safety of commuters riding on public utility vehicles.
He said the police marshals will be deployed in public terminals and passenger buses plying the major routes across the region, which means provinces in the Southern-central section of Mindanao. These include Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, General Santos City, Cotabato City, and Koronadal City.
An improvised explosive device exploded at the rear portion of the passenger bus owned by Yellow Bus Line while it was traversing the General Santos Drive on its way to terminal in Tacurong City past 12 noon on Thursday, May 26.
Police said a tricycle driver, Wilfredo Peno and his passenger were injured while the tricycle was tailing the bus when the explosion took place.
All six passengers aboard the bus including the driver and conductor were unhurt.
Bernardo Bolanio, the bus company manager, said the passenger bus came from Kidapawan City in North Cotabato and passed by Tacurong City before heading to this city.
He said the bus management had not received any threats prior to the attack.
Tagum has ordered stringent security measures to check the entry of passengers and luggage in public terminals and passenger buses to thwart terror attacks.
Police investigators are eyeing extortion as possible motive in the recent bomb attack on the Yellow Bus Line.
In June last year, a local terror group had burned down a passenger bus owned by YBL in Mlang, North Cotabato which killed three people and injured six others.
Authorities tagged the Dawlah Islamiyah terror group as responsible for the attack which was triggered by the refusal of the bus company to give in to the extortion of the local terrorist group.
Two unidentified suspects flagged down the bus along the national highway in Barangay Bialong, Mlang and set the bus on fire.
Three passengers died after they were trapped inside the blazing bus while six others who suffered injuries managed to escape.