Explosive found, defused in Sultan Kudarat

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Bomb experts rendered safe a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) they recovered from a tricycle plying the Poblacion route in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, around 11:55 a.m., Friday, a police official said.

Isulan Police Chief Roel Sermese said elements of the Explosive and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Sultan Kudarat province used an explosive disruptor to render safe the IED.

The IED, placed inside a baggage of vegetables, was left by a still unidentified passenger in a blue tricycle with plate number 3797 MV and driven by a certain Jokarno Galamban Abas, reports said.

Abas told police he was ordered by the suspect to deliver the baggage to a department store located along the national highway.

He said he waited for the suspect to arrive at the store for about 30 minutes.

"But when nobody arrived, that was the time the driver sought for police assistance. When we checked the baggage, we found out an IED was placed at the bottom part," said Sermese.

The explosive used a mobile phone as a triggering device and its main charge was a two 60-mm mortar round.

Authorities hinted extortion as one of the motives for planting the bomb.

They used as basis the bombing incidents, which took place, in many instances, outside establishments, bus terminals, and inside commuter buses.

Sermese, however, has yet to find out who was behind it. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)