I thought a fluorescent lamp exploded
Breaking News • 00:37 AM Fri Oct 10, 2014
938
By:
Edwin Fernandez with reports from DXND
(ndbc photo)
PIKIT, North Cotabato – A survivor
of the bloody riflegrenade attack in a Church here Wednesday night said churchgoers
were about to end the mid-week prayer meeting when something hard fell inside
from nowhere, followed by a very loud blast.
I thought a fluorescent lamp
exploded because i saw thick dark smoke billow to the ceiling, Gilda Dandan, who survived the blast unharmed, told DXND Radyo Bida Kidapawan.She is the wife of Jeremias Dandan, who was wounded with four others.Seconds of silence followed the
blast until one of the wounded cried for help.
I saw blood oozing from two or three
of our companions, including my husband Jeremias,” she added.
Bomba to, bomba to (It was a
bomb),” she recalled saying. She then called for help so the victims could be brought to the hospital.
Gilda, Jeremias and their son
Jerome, an engineer, teacher Virginia Manollid, 63, Gina Gabilona, 39 and Felomina Ferolin, 54, head nurse of Pagalungan hospital in nearby Pagalungan, Maguindanao,were among the participants of the mid-week United Church
of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) service led by Pastor Gerry Sanchez when the attack happened.
Ferolin and Gina Gabilona, a
teacher, separately died hours after the blast that occurred at past 7:30 p.m.
Some of the Church’s glass panes were
broken and the pews had shrapnel marks,” Gilda, who was sitting near the front rows,said.
Gilda echoed Pastor Sanchez
observations. She said she could not think of any reason why they were attacked
when in fact the congregation had been active in promoting peace in Pikit.
I am very sad why the church was
not spared, if they have enemies they should have spared the Church,” Gilda
said, referring tot he attackers.Police and military authorities
remained clueless as to the motive of the attack which occurred while the town
was experiencing light to moderate down pour.
The Army’s 602nd
Infantry Brigade intelligence operatives and bomb experts have been helping the
local police in the post blast investigation.
No one has claimed responsibility.
Senior Inspector Mautin
Pangandigan, Pikit police chief, said investigation showed that two men riding
tandem on a motorcycle passed by and one of them fired the M-79 grenade
launcher. Another version said the rifle
grenade could have been launched a few meters away.
Responding policemen recovered an
empty 40 mm shell beside the road.