By
Edwin Fernandez
December 10, 2017
NORTH
UPI, Maguindanao -- Local officials of this town have appealed to the public to
be vigilant and help prevent crimes and violence following the grenade attack
that hurt a police officer on duty and another blast that injured members of
Philippine Marines on Saturday dawn.
Mayor
Ramon Piang appealed to the public not to allow saboteurs to disrupt the peace
and order of this town in Maguindanao.
“To
all Upians (people of Upi), please let us not allow anyone to destroy the
prevailing peace and order condition of our town,” Piang said following the
twin blast that hurt eight government forces.
“Let
us work with Task Force Upi and the local government. Be agents of peace and be
vigilant in our surroundings,” he added.
PO2
Esmael Alabat, a member of Upi town police force, was seriously injured when a
rifle grenade fired from M-203 rifle from a distance landed at the roadside
police outpost at about 12:15 a.m. Saturday.
Senior
Supt. Agustin Tello, Maguindanao police provincial director, said Alabat was
one of the police officers assigned with the 1st Maneuver Platoon of the
Provincial Public Safety Company.
Alabat
sustained shrapnel injuries in the head and body and is now recuperating at a
private hospital here.
Members
of the Philippine Marines had just provided security to police personnel and
bomb experts in the post-blast investigation and were heading for home base
when a roadside improvised bomb was detonated by still unidentified suspects at
about 1 a.m. on the same day.
The
soldiers were heading towards Barangay Mirab when the explosion occurred
hurting Major Romulo Ducay, Corporals Ryan Cabual, Arnel Jiun, Oliver Albo,
Alvin Sangadan and Privates 1st Class Johnny Panday and Gerwin Perez all of the
5th Marine Battalion Landing Team (MBLT-5).
