A CACHE of explosives and bomb-making components supposedly owned by the communist rebels were found in barangay Lumbo, Valencia City, Bukidnon on Thursday noon, March 1.
This, after Personnel from the Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), Valencia City police, Provincial Intelligence Branch and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in the province, have responded to a report about two suspicious personalities being sighted in the area.
However, the suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were able to elude arrest when they sensed the presence of the approaching operatives.
Authorities seized a sack left by the two which contains improvised explosive device (IED) and IED paraphernalia.
This includes 21 pieces of improvised hand grenade, five pieces of improvised anti-personnel clamor mines, steel and PVC pipes, electrical wires, soluble fertilizer, Asupre chemical substance, a kilo of ammonium nitrate/fuel oi (ANFO), dynamites and blasting caps, among others.
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10), said he is certain that the confiscated items were owned by the NPA rebels because of the signature of the IED design.
"Bisan nidagan sila mailhan gihapon nga sa mga NPA terrorist to considering sa signature or trademark sa mga IED design," (Even if they ran, we can identify that it was from the NPA terrorist considering the signature or trademark of the design of the IED) Gonda said.
Gonda said the presence of the explosives and bomb-making components is posing threat to safety and security as it even sows fear to the people in the area.
He said the Maoist guerillas may have been planning to conduct terror attacks or stage ambush against their enemies.
"Ang assessment sa police ana is maghimo sila og terror attacks or mang-ambush," Gonda said.
(The police assessment is they will conduct terror attacks or conduct ambush)