BIFF blamed for carnival bombing in Sultan Kudarat

SULTAN KUDARAT, Philippines - Investigators are still validating  insinuations the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was behind Sunday’s bombing of a carnival in Esperanza town that killed a child and injured more than 30 others.

Chief Inspector Bryan Bernardino of the Esperanza police said the arrested bombing suspect, from among three culprits, has not been cooperating with policemen trying to extract from him information that could lead to the arrest of his two accomplices.

The suspect, whose name Bernardino withheld meantime while efforts to locate his cohorts are underway, was collared by policemen while trying to escape after the explosions.

“Investigators are still trying to establish the real motive for the grenade attack,” Bernardino said.

A six-year-old child, John Elton Antonio, was killed while more than 30 others were hurt on Sunday night when the three bombers attacked the carnival, near Esperanza’s town hall, with MK-2 fragmentation grenades.

READ: Child killed, 18 hurt in Sultan Kudarat bombing

Bernardino said they are also not discounting the possibility that the attack could have been triggered by an old grudge involving the carnival operator and a second party.

“There is also a possibility that extortionists were behind it,” he said.

Bernardino has urged the public to give investigators enough time to wind up with their investigation on the incident.