The Philippine Online Chronicles

The police have identified two suspects in the Sultan Kudarat bombing which is believed to been targeting Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.

Maguindanao board member Datu Russman Sinsuat Sr. and a bystander were killed while many others were injured during the attack in Tacurong City last Monday.

According to the chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao, Felicisimo Khu Jr., they arrested a man named Datu Karim Masdal “minutes after the bombing,” but his arrest was kept secret because of the ongoing follow-up operations.

Witnesses said they saw Masdal leaving the car bomb along the roadside before the explosion.

Charges of double murder and multiple frustrated murder were filed against Masdal yesterday.

The other suspect, only known as Jay-R Reyes, was found to be the buyer of the Kia Avella car which was supposedly used in the bombing.

“He, until lately, cannot be accounted by our operatives in the field, [we have] already consulted some agencies to find out some details [about him],” said acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Nicanor Bartolome. “But up to now, they have not taken hold of any records on file on agencies.”

Evidence suggests that the attack was “against the person of Governor Mangudadatu.”