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Friday, September 12, 2008
Bomb recovered, defused near gov't office
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) personnel of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) defused an improvised explosive device (IED) found Thursday morning near a government office.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed its forces in the country on alert in the wake of the anniversary of the infamous September 11 terrorist attacks on New York seven years ago.
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Police reported that two teenagers recovered the bomb from a vacant lot in front of the City Council building around 6 a.m. Thursday. It was the teenagers who reported the recovered IED to the authorities.
The explosive device weighing around three kilograms contained ammonium nitrate. A timer was concealed in a black plastic bag.
Police authorities have yet to determine who planted the bomb in the area on the day the City Council is scheduled to hold its regular session.
No one claimed responsibility for planting the bomb at the lot, which is also near two public high schools, city public library, and the Joaquin F. Enriquez, Jr. Memorial Sports Complex.
Vice Mayor Jose Manuel Dalipe II said he does not see any clear motive "as of this time" except that the explosive was planted near the City Council building on the day that "we are to hold our regular session."
The City Council has been very vocal in its opposition to having six villages of Zamboanga City included in the proposed Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE).
Dalipe called on the police to do all they can to identify the people responsible.
The discovery of the bomb came a few days after police authorities intercepted a shipment of explosive components also in Zamboanga City.
Intercepted and confiscated on September 2 were 9,900 pieces of non-electric blasting caps and 3,000 meters of time fuse rolls that were shipped from Manila through a local cargo forwarder.
The Zamboanga Peninsula Police Office (ZPPO) said in a statement that the confiscation came four days after its receipt of an intelligence report on plans of discontented Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels and Abu Sayyaf bandits to sow terror in areas expressing strong objection to being included in the proposed BJE. (Bong P. Garcia/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (September 12, 2008 issue)
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