Criminology student third death in Isulan blast

August 30, 2018

ISULAN — A criminology student, one of the victims of a bomb explosion in this town, died Thursday, bringing to three the death toll and dozens wounded in an attack on Tuesday.

Welmark John Lapidez, 25, a resident of nearby Bagumbayan town, also in Sultan Kudarat province, passed away at a hospital due to multiple shrapnel wounds in his head and bodies.

Special Assistant to the President Christopher Bong Go said perpetrators in the explosion at the night market in the village of Kalawag 3 will be prosecuted when they are arrested.

Go said Duterte will monitor the investigation and pursuit operation to get the people responsible for the bombing that also left 37 people wounded, two of them soldiers.

“The perpetrators…the terrorists…will be punished. You can be assure of that,”  Go said, adding the government will provide assistance for blast victims.

Regional police spokesman Supt. Aldrin Gonzales said a task group was formed to handle the blast  investigation and to track down the perpetrators.

Gonzales said authorities released a cartographic sketch of the blast suspect, between 20-26 of age, 5’6 up to 5’7 in height and medium built, who was seen by witnesses wearing black T-shirt and colored pants. The suspect, along with a companion, was carrying a bag containing the homemade bomb.

The bombing was the second one to strike the south within the past month despite Mindanao being under martial law since the siege of Marawi last year. DMS