Good Friday explosion at local gov’t compound rattles Maguindanao del Sur town

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The explosion occurs just three days after the Comelec placed the town under its control due to a surge in cases of violence in the area weeks before the midterm elections

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – An explosion at the local government compound in Buluan town, Maguindanao del Sur, caused panic among residents on the evening of Good Friday, April 18, a former governor confirmed.

The explosion took place just three days after the Commission on Elections (Comelc) placed the same town under its control due to a surge in cases of violence in the area weeks before the midterm elections.

The explosion, which occurred around 9 pm, was followed by a fire near the municipal hall, according to Esmael Mangudadatu, a former governor of Maguindanao who once served as Buluan mayor.

There were no casualty reports as of posting time.

Mangudadatu hinted that it was a grenade explosion. “We are checking if there were people wounded due to shrapnel,” he told reporters.

The police have yet to give a statement about the explosion.  

The Comelec earlier sought the relief of the police directors of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the two Maguindanao provinces due to the rising cases of election violence in the region.

A Special Action Forces unit has been sent to the BARMM as the Comelec placed the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur under its control. The poll body will take direct supervision over local security measures and the electoral process in these areas ahead of the May elections. – Rappler.com