POLICE IN HOT PURSUIT OF SUSPECTS IN ROADSIDE BOMB ATTACK; MAYOR ESCAPES AMBUSH

 A province-wide pursuit operation is underway in Maguindanao for suspects in the roadside bomb attack on the convoy of South Upi Mayor Reynalbert O. Insular yesterday.

Reports reaching PNP Chief, Police General Debold M Sinas from Police Brigadier General Samuel Rodriguez disclosed that one person died and four others were wounded when armed suspects detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the convoy of Mayor Insular at 2:00PM on Sunday in the vicinity of Barangay Pandan and Barangay Pilar in South Upi.

Mayor Insular was not hurt in the attack and, together with his group, was later evacuated to a safer ground by the responding government security forces from South Upi Municipal Police Station and 57th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

The lone fatality was identified as Thelmo Divinagracia Sase, 28, of Brgy Itaw, South Upi, while the wounded victims were John Tumbaga, 30, of Linamas, Brgy Romongaob, South Upi; Christian Sase, 22, of Brgy Itaw, South Upi; Ernesto Debang, 53, of Brgy Pandan; and Leonard Betita, 20, of Brgy Pilar, South Upi.

SOURCE : PNP-PIO