The police announced today that one of the men suspected of orchestrating the deadly New Year’s Eve bombing that occurred in a Cotabato City mall has surrendered.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer identified the suspect as Salipudin Pasandalan, 56, a native of Maguindanao.
Pasandalan, currently detained at Cotabato City’s police station, was accompanied by his family when he surrendered to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday night.
However, PNP-Soccsksargen regional director Chief Superintendent Eliseo Rasco said that Pasandalan denied that he was involved in the blast, which killed two people and wounded 34 others. Rappler reported that he surrendered after seeing his photo in television reports which identified him as one of the suspects.
The PNP alleged that Pasandalan served as the lookout while his cohort, whose name remains unknown, planted an improvised explosive device (IED) at the South Seas mall, the Daily Tribune reported.
Rasco said that several CCTV footage obtained from the scene of the crime would prove Pasandalan’s involvement.
Before Pasandalan’s surrender, the police said that two men were seen on the mall’s second floor on the day of the blast holding a small container, reported ABS-CBN News. The container was left by the men near a lotto outlet and was deactivated after a saleslady saw it and called the police.
Before that bomb was discovered, a bomb exploded near the mall’s entrance, reported the Philippine Star.
Three days ago, authorities released photos of Pasandalan and his alleged cohort, who remains at large.
Meanwhile, authorities said Pasandalan refused to answer their questions upon the advice of his two lawyers.
Rasco said he already instructed the task group responsible for the case to file charges against the suspect.
Cotabato City is the regional center of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The mall bombing came after the Dec. 22 deaths of four members of a local Islamic State-inspired group during an encounter with the Philippine Marine Corps in the village of Mamasapano in Maguindanao, also in ARMM.
Those killed from the IS-inspired group included one Indonesian, Abdulrahid Ruhmisanti, and a Singaporean, Abu Hud Zain, reported the Philippine Star.
The bombing also occurred shortly before a plebiscite which will happen on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6. The plebiscite will give residents of various areas in Mindanao the right to approve or reject the Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law which will create a new Muslim government in the south.
If the new government to-be-called the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is created, the separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front said it will end its rebellion, reported Rappler.
