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Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Bomb substances may be sold in Oro: Nene
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
IT DOESN'T take much for Cagayan de Oro and other cities in Mindanao to be hit by bombings similar to the Davao experience.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. expressed fears about the reported unchecked sale of ingredients for improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) from fertilizer and pharmacy shops in Cagayan de Oro and other cities.
Last Sunday morning the Misamis Occidental provincial police seized two sacks of ammonium nitrate--a bomb ingredient--and empty ammunition boxes from a barangay chairman.
The confiscation came after Regional Trial Court branch 14 (RTC-14) Judge Henry Damasing issued a search warrant for the police on Barangay Misom Chairperson Reynol Yap of Baliangao town, Misamis Occidental.
Yap is said to be linked to illegal activities. A radio report said Yap doesn't have any business that would use ammonium nitrate. Yap, who is detained as of presstime, is on his second term as barangay chairman.
He is reportedly related to Sapangdalaga municipal Mayor Pacita Yap in Misamis Occidental. Police seized from the mayor's possession boxes containing assorted live ammunition and a machine for manufacturing counterfeit money.
Meanwhile Sen. Pimentel said authorities should constantly check on fertilizer and pharmacy shops, which may sell IED ingredients.
He said even if checkpoints and all other points of entry strictly screen persons and products through frisking and metal detectors this might no longer be enough.
Interrogation
Pimentel said IEDs can still be assembled in Cagayan de Oro City and in any other city where fertilizer and pharmacy shops continue to sell items that could be used for making homemade bombs unchecked.
"Kinahanglan matanaw kung pila ang volume, kinsa, kanus-a, asa ug giunsa paggamit kini nga mga butanga nga pwede ihimo diay ug bomba (There is a need to monitor as to the volume, who, when, where and how there materials are being used particularly as they can be ingredients for an IED)," he said.
He said it only takes one well-trained bomb expert to enter the city empty-handed and then buy the ingredients needed to assemble an IED.
Unfortunately, Pimentel said there is still no concrete law regulating fertilizer and pharmacy shops in selling items like ammonium nitrate, fertilizers and other materials used in homemade bombs.
He said he hopes this will be tackled on later under the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill.
Just last week, police picked up two persons in connection with the recovery of 100 kilos of fertilizers and other materials used in making homemade bombs.
General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO) Director Senior Supt. Jeorge Aquisap said the two suspects are still undergoing interrogation.
Oplan Semana Santa
He said the two were arrested hours after General Santos police's explosive and ordnance division confiscated selected IED ingredients from their possession in Barangay Fatima, early Monday morning.
These include two bags of suspected ammonium nitrate, one container of gasoline and a can of yellowish powder believed to be petric acid.
"These are implements in assembling IEDs (improvised explosive devices)," Aquisap told reporters gathered at Camp Fermin Lira Monday morning.
GSCPO EOD Head Senior Supt. Joemar Yap said samples of the materials found were sent to the city's crime laboratory for analysis.
He disclosed that the materials could easily be assembled into molotovs that are used in dynamite fishing.
Yap added that a large amount of ammonium nitrate mixed with gasoline could be devastating to human lives.
Aquisap meanwhile said they are looking into the possibility that the bomb materials belonged to suspected terrorists who are out to disrupt the city's peace and order condition.
"We have intelligence reports that there is going to be IED making because there is a hardship on the part of the terrorists in bringing bombs here," Aquisap bared.
Vigilant
Aquisap also didn't discount the possibility that the two suspects are connected with a terrorist organization.
PNP Regional Directors Supts. Manuel Raval of Region 10 and Alberto Olario of the Caraga Region admitted they don't have enough police to protect everybody this Holy Week.
"But we will be trying our best," was their common statements over radio interviews.
For his part, Fourth Infantry Division (4th ID) Chief Maj. Gen. Cristolito Balaoing said they would be augmenting the PNP forces for this week's religious celebration.
PNP Provincial Director Supt. Virgilio Echeveria said they will implement an operation plan specially crafted for the Holy Week celebration tagged as Oplan Semana Santa.
He said they will be concentrating their forces heavily in areas where Stations of the Cross are located and other places frequented during Holy Week.
"We will also be having our mobile checkpoints and coordinate with other non-government organizations and people's organizations like Bantay Bayan to help us," he told PNP Press Corps members during their courtesy
But all four law enforcement officers said what is needed is for people to be always vigilant and report anything that looks suspicious to the authorities.
Echeveria said they are currently training Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) volunteers all over the 24 towns and one city of Misamis Oriental. l
(April 15, 2003 issue)
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