Sunday, December 21, 2008 2 grenade toys recovered inside church By Malu C. Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Police recovered Saturday two toys that looked like apple-type grenades placed at the back gate of a Catholic Church, located just few blocks away from the Carmen-Bukidnon highway.
Police investigator Teng Dimapalao said at first, they thought those were real explosives.
"But when I carried them, I was surprised the items were very light. When I checked them, that was the time I knew those were not real explosives," Dimapalao said.
The fake explosives were attached to a red electrical wiring and placed near a bag.
The police theorized the toys were placed hours before the dawn mass Saturday to sow fear among churchgoers and workers.
"This is done by those groups or individuals who want to disrupt the tranquility of the place," said Inspector Miraluna Ortega, chief of Carmen police.
Workers of the Immaculate Conception Church are set to hold their Christmas party Saturday night inside the compound.
Police have yet to find out those responsible for the crime.
The incident took place after North Cotabato Provincial Police Director Lester Camba alerted all police units in his area-of-responsibility of possible terror attacks.
In Kidapawan City, Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco also requested additional police to be deployed in public places, including shopping malls, churches, parks, and resorts.
"We want people to celebrate Christmas without fear so we'll make sure they are protected and secured," he said.
The alert was issued a day after twin blasts rocked Iligan City in Northern Mindanao killing on-the-spot two shoppers and wounding 40 others.
On Friday afternoon, police found in front of one of the bombed establishments in Iligan City an improvised bomb inside a papaya fruit left under a table at Delecta Bakeshop by two teenage suspects.
Delecta is located along Aguinaldo street, just in front of Jerry's Shopping Center which was bombed Thursday at 1:55 p.m.
