Two improvised explosives – a 60mm mortar and an 80mm mortar tied together and detonated by a mobile phone – was used by suspects in the Roxas Avenue night market bombing in Davao City Friday.

Senior Supt. Valeriano de Leon, Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 deputy director, said whoever manufactured the improvised explosive has terrorism in mind with the intention to kill as many people.

Authorities are cross-matching if the bombs are similar to the 60mm illumination rounds encased in 81mm mortar recovered on June 26, 2016 in Buhangin District that was possibly not manufactured locally but outside the country, according to De Leon.

There are now four persons of interest in relation to the night market bombing that claimed the lives of 14 persons and injured at least 70.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 11 director Adzar Albani said authorities are also looking at the possibility of “narco-terrorism” behind the tragic incident.

The illegal drug trade, Albani said, is a very lucrative business that could earn billions of money for politicians.  The prospect of earning more was “hit-hard” by the anti-drug campaign of Presidente Duterte.

THREE IMPROVISED BOMBS

In Sultan Kudarat, military and police operatives thwarted another attack after it detonated an  improvised explosive device (IED) in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao Tuesday night.

Army Col. Earl Baliao, 603rd Brigade Commander said a resident in the area reported seeing three rocket propel grenades (RPG) along the highway in Barangay Rebuken, Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao at about 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Troops from the Bravo Company of the 37th Infantry Battalion cordoned off the area while waiting for members of the Explosives Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit and closed the highway to traffic for at least two hours.

Baliao said the RPG is not part of the Army’s inventory. It is usually used by rebels. The improvised explosive consist of three pieces of projectile of a 60 mm RPG with ICON radio, wires and Triple A batteries.

The Army official said the IED was intended to be left along the highway and once exploded cause kill, maim or cause damage to passing vehicles.

“I think it was really intended to be left near the highway. It was put at the side of the highway in Brgy. Rebukin. We are still determining who are the culprits behind this,” Baliao said.

“Maraming angulo kaming tinitignan. So far we cannot still determine what particular group is behind it. An investigation is still ongoing.”

NOT THE SAME

“Nai-isolate naming.  Iyong purpose talaga sa paglagay ng IED na ito kasi maraming rido( family feud) din nangyayari dito sa area. Of course aside dun sa intent ng mga terrorists na nandito rin sa area. Pwede nating mai-isolate na masabi na kagagawan ito ng terorista sa area,” he added.

Baliao said that the IED left in the highway is different from the one used in the Davao night market bombing.

“The IED which exploded in Davao City is 60 mm na galing mortar iyun na projectile. Ito naman 60 mm na RPG, rocket propelled grenade. It’s a different type,” he said.

BOMB MAKING  MATERIALS

In the town of Mlang in North Cotabato, two suspected bombers were captured by combined police and Army operatives and  recovered materials for making improvised explosives and a hand grenade at the residence of the suspects at Purok 6, barangay Dunguan.

 North Cotabato acting police director Senior Supt. Emmanuel Peralta said the raid was covered by a search warrant.  The police identified the captured suspect as Jokrie Andong Buisan, a resident of Mlang’s barangay Inas, who was arrested while holding a live fragmentation grenade at the residence of Anwar and Guiamadel Sandingan, the main targets of the search warrants. But anwar and Guiamadel managed to escape before police troops backed by elements of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade under Col. Manolo Samatita arrived at about  4 p.m. Tuesday.

Authorities recovered bomb-making materials — pieces blasting caps, detonating cords, three cellphone units, batteries, a soldering gun and an electrical tester, among others. (with a report from Ali G. Macabalang)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Antonio L. Colina IV and Francis T. Wakefield

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