The New Year’s Eve explosion in front of a beerhouse on the outskirts of Tacurong was not an act of terrorism, Police Superintendent John Patrick Aggabao said, adding that the incident rooted from an altercation between two groups of bar customers quarrelling over a female entertainer.
Two people died and 17 others sustained injuries when an explosive device went off a few meters away from the entrance of Happy Videoke Bar, a crude shanty located along National Highway in Barangay Buenaflor at 11:05 in the evening of December 31.
Dominador Datahan, 51 year-old barangay civilian volunteer, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital while 19 year-old Suharto Ali from Maguindanao, died in the morning of January 1.
The police progress report indicated that a team from Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) had recovered two safety levers of hand grenades, thus negating earlier report that an improvised explosive device or IED caused the explosion.
Supt. Aggabao said that prior to the blast, a heated argument inside the bar occurred when a male customer forced a lady entertainer seated at the other customer’s table to sit with them.
A witness to the incident said that Datahan tried to pacify the quarelling groups. The eye witness said one of the involved parties went out of the bar but left threatening words “Babalikan ko kayo” or “I’ll get back at you”. Less than an hour later, grenades exploded just outside the bar particularly in the area where a tricycle was being parked.
Aggabao said that based on the results of the initial investigations, police is dispelling the notion on the incident as an act of terrorism. “Based on the circumstances, the incident was an offshoot of a heated confrontation between individuals quarrelling over a female entertainer”, Aggabao said.
The local police chief added that they have already identified some “persons of interest” who could be the perpetrators of the New Year’s Eve violence. (ASFreno, LGU Tacurong Information)
Two people died and 17 others sustained injuries when an explosive device went off a few meters away from the entrance of Happy Videoke Bar, a crude shanty located along National Highway in Barangay Buenaflor at 11:05 in the evening of December 31.
Dominador Datahan, 51 year-old barangay civilian volunteer, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital while 19 year-old Suharto Ali from Maguindanao, died in the morning of January 1.
The police progress report indicated that a team from Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) and Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) had recovered two safety levers of hand grenades, thus negating earlier report that an improvised explosive device or IED caused the explosion.
Supt. Aggabao said that prior to the blast, a heated argument inside the bar occurred when a male customer forced a lady entertainer seated at the other customer’s table to sit with them.
A witness to the incident said that Datahan tried to pacify the quarelling groups. The eye witness said one of the involved parties went out of the bar but left threatening words “Babalikan ko kayo” or “I’ll get back at you”. Less than an hour later, grenades exploded just outside the bar particularly in the area where a tricycle was being parked.
Aggabao said that based on the results of the initial investigations, police is dispelling the notion on the incident as an act of terrorism. “Based on the circumstances, the incident was an offshoot of a heated confrontation between individuals quarrelling over a female entertainer”, Aggabao said.
The local police chief added that they have already identified some “persons of interest” who could be the perpetrators of the New Year’s Eve violence. (ASFreno, LGU Tacurong Information)