(UPDATE) Duterte's mayoral candidate survives bombing in Maguindanao, 3 aides hurt

COTABATO CITY – A mayoral
aspirant in Maguindanao identified with PDP-Laban presidential candidate
Rodrigo Duterte survived a road side bombing in South Upi, Maguindanao, police
and his supporters said.

Vice Mayor Remegio Sioson of
South Upi, Maguindanao escaped unscathed but his three supporters, including a
relative, were slightly injured.

Michael Bibaoco, Sioson’s
private secretary, said the vice mayor and his unarmed escorts were heading to
Timanan from the village of Pandan where he visited the Maguindanao medical
team on outreached program.

At about 2:30 p.m. a
powerful explosion in Sitio Bolo, Barangay Pandan occurred, hitting the right
side of Sioson’s Mitsubishi Strada.

Police identified the
injured as Bibaoco, 30, Junito Venancio, 34, and Rommel Sioson, 35, the vice
mayor’s cousin.

We did not campaign in
Barangay Kigan, we only visited the provincial medical team,” Bibaoco said,
explaining Sioson’s party had a two-day off in the campaign sortie after a
spouse of his party mate has passed away.

Conchita Quinlat, campaign
staff of the Siosons, Venancio was rushed to a Cotabato City hospital due to
shrapnel injuries.

We are glad he(Sioson)
survived the bombing unscathed, he is now safe and sound,” Quinlat said.

Supt. Jibin Bongcayao,
spokesperson of Maguindanao police, said the IED was made of a 60 mm mortar
with two-day hand held radio as triggering device.

Maguindanao Governor Esmael Toto” Mangudadatu has condemned the bombing andcalled for sobriety to all the candidates. Lets be more mature now in this present electoral practice, our province deserves a peaceful election where voices of people should be heard and politicians will not anymore resort to violence and instead converse about platform, he said.
Mangudadatu has suffered the country'sworst election-related violence when his wife, sister, relatives and friends, including media workers who joined a convoy to filecandidacy in November 23, 2009. He lost his wife, relatives and passersby, including 32 journalists in what is known as the Maguindanao massacre.He advised party mates and all political aspirants to raise the level of political campaign and refrain from using violence to gain advantage over the other.Fr. Dennis Gui of Timanan
parish, it was the second attempt on Sioson’s life.

Bibaoco said Sioson survived
an ambush on Nov. 30, 2013 in the borders of Datu Odin Sinsuat and North Upi,
both in Maguindanao. His driver was
injured but Sioson was unharmed.

Sioson is up against seven
other aspirants for mayor of South Upi, an upland town in Maguindanao known as
corn producing municipality but is now suffering from the brunt of long dry
spell.

Police remained clueless as
to the motive against the mayoral aspirant.