PNP: Davao night market blast culprit may be Marwan-learned

PNP: Davao night market blast culprit may be Marwan-learned



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Davao City — It turns out, the homemade bomb that went off in Davao city Friday night — was more destructive than investigators first thought.

"The improvised explosive device used last September 2 was made out of two mortar shells.  It's a 60mm and an 81mm bomb put together into one," Davao Regional Police Director PCSupt Maniel Gaerlan said, Tuesday.

Gaerlan said the two-in-one bomb was designed to cause destruction upwards and around it.

"With the magnitude nung explosion and yung preparation ano, I would say the intent nung gumawa man nito is really to harm and inflict maximum casualty," Gaerlan added.

[Translation: With the magnitude of the explosion and the preparation made by the perpetrator, the intent is really to harm and inflict maximum casualty.]

"This is already I would say a very barbaric act and an act of terrorism."


The Culprit
This new finding sheds yet another clue about the culprit.

Gaerlan said it now appears more likely that a terror group was behind the attack.

According to Gaerlan, this group could have acted on its own, or in connivance with drug lords.

What's certain for now, authorities say, is the explosive device was made by an expert — who could have learned from Zulkifli Bin Hir, also known as Marwan.

Marwan, the Jemaah-Islamiyah terrorist was killed in the Mamasapano operation in January 2015.

"Si Marwan kasi, no, yung expertise niya is terrorism through explosives, improvised explosives. Marami na siyang naging estudyante," Gaerlan said.  [Marwan's expertise is terrorism through explosives, improvised explosives. He had a lot of students.]


Investigators have yet to rule out disgruntled night market vendors as possible suspects — but Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte believes it's unlikely.

"The issue talaga niyan is yung patong-patong, isang pamilya lang nag-ano. Kaya kinontrol namin, para lahat may opportunity para makapagnegosyo. Kaso pumasok tong mga China, Chinese na mga galing sa China na nagluluto na rin doon. So hindi na masyadong kumikita," Duterte said.

[Translation: The issues have overlapped, but at first it was just a family there. That's why we controlled it so everyone will have an opportunity to do business. But when some Chinese people came in and started cooking and selling food, some vendors now hardly earn.]

"It's a possibility pero parang malayo na rin masyado yan na ano, para pumatay ka ng tao."

Investigators are still looking for four persons of interest — two male and two female — who may turn out to be suspects