A suspect in the South Seas Mall bombing in Cotabato City that killed two people and injured dozens of others on Dec. 31 has surrendered, police said Tuesday.
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Chief Supt. Eliseo Rasco, regional police director in Soccsksargen, identified the suspect as Salipudin Pasandalan, 56, who surrendered Sunday night.
Rasco declined to link Pasandalan to any particular group, saying the police have yet to establish a motive for the bombing.
Pasandalan surrendered after seeing his picture on TV, and after relatives urged him to turn himself in, he said.
Earlier, the police had pinned the responsibility for the bomb attack on the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, however, said they have already identified the perpetrators.
“We already identified the perpetrators but we are not yet giving names. But apparently, they are connected with the BIFF,” he said.
He indicated there were more than one suspect in government custody.
“They are under investigation now, under tactical investigation to determine their purpose—why they detonated a bomb there,” he said.
He said that one of the possible motives is intimidation or extortion, but said this has yet to be established.
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