Victims of Dec. 31 M’lang bombing obtain financial and other assistance from PGCot By Jimmy Sta. Cruz PGO Media Center AMAS, Kidapawan City (Jan 8) – Families of Kristine Salo and Zenaida Suello, the two fatalities of the Dec. 31, 2014 M’lang Public Market bombing each received P20,000 as funeral expenses from the Provincial Government of Cotabato along with two sacks of rice and additional cash assistance of P5,000 each. The assistances were immediately released to the families few days after the deadly blast which also injured 35 others. Cynthia D. Ortega, Designated Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Officer said that the Gov. Emmylou “Lala” J. Taliño-Mendoza directly approved the release after she submitted her recommendation to provide much needed help to the victims. Ortega also disclosed that five other victims identified as Candida Pante (53), Michelle Martin (32), Juralyn Marfil (37), Darelyn Salo (27) and Marife Salo (22), all residents of M’lang also received P5,000 each as financial assistance. All of them were initially rushed to M’lang District Hospital and M’lang Doctors Hospital last Dec. 3. Of the five, Pante, whose right leg was amputated, was referred to Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City while the remaining four are still in CPH recuperating. Two more victims, Nilo Condido and Felix Protacio, also both from M’lang and are now confined at CEM Specialist Hospital in M’lang were also given P5,000 each. Gov. Taliño-Mendoza was represented by 3rd District of Cotabato Board Member Ivy Dalumpines-Balitoc during the distribution of financial assistance in CPH and at the residences of some of the victims in M’lang. Ortega further disclosed that Gov. Taliño-Mendoza ordered for the urgent release of wheelchairs for Darelyn whose both legs were amputated and Pante who lost her right leg. Aside from these, the governor also provided a rattan chair for Rosalie Buenaflor, 55 which she will use while recuperating after her surgery at the CEM Specialist Hospital and a pair of crutches for Marife Salo, who attained serious wounds in her left foot. The Provincial Government of Cotabato also took charge of the hospitalization and medicines of all the other wounded victims rushed to M’lang District Hospital and Cotabato Provincial Hospital. The deadly blast at the entrance of M’lang public market on Dec. 31, 2014 which left claimed two lives and seriously wounding at least 8 and left around 27 others with minor injury occurred just after four weeks when another Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in Poblacion A, M’lang which killed 3 minors and wounded more than 15 others on Nov. 23, 2014. Gov. Taliño-Mendoza has ordered the Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO) and the Philippine Army to strengthen security measures in M’lang, particularly in the town’s entry and exit points as well as in public places. The governor strongly condemned the two bombings in M’lang and the similar incident which took place in nearby Kabacan town on Nov. 16, 2014 that killed a student and wounding more than 20 others. She called the blast as an act of barbarism that aims to disrupt the peace and order initiatives where the perpetrators must be brought to the folds of law and their acts put to an end. “This act has no place in a civilized society. I reiterate our firm stands against any form of violence on our people”, Gov. Taliño-Mendoza resolutely said in her statement. Shortly after the latest explosion, Gov. Taliño-Mendoza ordered the police and other concerned government agencies to fast track clearing operations, investigation and the filing of appropriate charges against the suspects. The governor went to see the victims and their families at the different hospitals in M’lang and Kidapawan City few hours after the blast and assured them of all the possible help the Provincial Government of Cotabato can extend. (JIMMY STA. CRUZ/Photos by SIDNEY NANINI and JSC - PGO Media Center) .
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 08:48:27 +0000
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