SC affirms conviction of 2011 Sultan Kudarat bomber

THE SUPREME Court (SC) has affirmed the Court of Appeals’ (CA) decision convicting the individual who was behind the 2011 car bombing in Sultan Kudarat that killed two. In a resolution dated March 6, the SC third division denied for lack of merit the appeal of Datu Karim Masdal over the CA 2017 decision affirming his 2015 conviction for double murder. Those who died in the bombing were Datu Russman Q. Sinsuat, Sr., a board member in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Raffy L. Pareñas. Masdal is sentenced to reclusion perpetua or 20 to 40 years of imprisonment without parole. The high court also affirmed the P100,000 payment per victim as civil indemnity, exemplary, and moral damages, to the heirs of the casualties. In denying the appeal of Mr. Masdal, the SC said the prosecution established that Mr. Masdal is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. “These unbroken chain of events prove Masdal ‘s participation and responsibility in the murder of Parrefias and BM Sinsuat,” the high court ruled. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas