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Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Terror groups eyed in market bomb find
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
TERRORIST groups from Southern Mindanao responsible for the bombings in the cities of Davao and General Santos are now suspected to be responsible for planting a bomb inside a bus parked at Agora Bus Terminal, police reported Tuesday.
Authorities debunked reports that the failed bomb incident was actually a "drama" staged to further justify any future call for a state of emergency and clamping down of some rights by the state.
The police voiced hopes that the text messages with identification numbers contained inside the SIM card of the cellular phone that was supposed to trigger the bomb would give them more leads on who is behind the incident.
But already, Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno believes that this incident should not be taken lightly and the police should tighten their checkpoints all over the province.
Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano for his part wants a more thorough report on the incident from Cagayan de Oro city police director Colonel Aurelio Trampe.
A note with a list of the different towns in Bukidnon and some areas in Cagayan de Oro City was found near the improvised explosive device prompting suspicions that the explosive was meant for these areas.
Police Regional Office Director Florante Baguio said, "The bomb was really meant to hurt people and destroy the bus...it was a real bomb. It was not a drama."
Intact
He said it was just fortunate that the bomb did not explode because the battery of the cellular phone supposed to trigger the bomb was defective and already drained out.
Earlier, Senior Police Officer 1 Allan Dennis Poe Tingson of the Explosive Ordnance Department (EOD) said the improvised explosive was placed at the back of a passenger bus.
The bus came from Kabacan, North Cotabato. It arrived at Agora terminal at about 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Tingson confirmed that it was indeed an improvised bomb since its components remained intact. These included a 9 volt battery, a blasting cap, explosive filler, a terminal, and a mobile phone.
Baguio said their EOD experts have already disassembled and studied the improvised explosive device.
He said their experts believe that the bomb is similar to those used to bomb Davao City's airport and wharf terminals separately and General Santos City that left several people dead and wounded including children.
"This is the handiwork of some groups identified with the Southern Mindanao separatists," he said but was quick to clear the name of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Checkpoints
Fourth Infantry Division commanding general Major General Cardoso Luna and his spokesman retired Colonel Francisco Simbajon vowed to help the police in their efforts to look for those behind this failed bombing incident and to safeguard the region.
Trampe said they found some text messages with the corresponding cellular phone numbers of the senders inside the SIM card of the cellular phone that was supposed to trigger the improvised explosive device.
He said they are trying to trace these numbers with hopes that it would possibly lead them to those behind the failed bombing.
Moreno is now asking the police to tighten their checkpoints particularly as these terrorist elements have now shown their intentions to really wreck havoc this time in the Northern Mindanao region.
He said the bomb would have destroyed a lot and hurt people particularly as it reached the Agora Integrated Bus Terminal.
Emano said it is still not clear as to who are the groups behind the incident and what their motives are.
"Posibleng pagpanghadlok o unsa ba kaha kay wala man gipabuto kon kini gyud ang ilang tumong," he said adding that he wants Trampe to submit to him a more thorough report on the incident. (With reports from Sun.Star Superbalita)
(March 15, 2006 issue)
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