2 explosions rock Basilan

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 19): 2 explosions rock Basilan

The police are conducting a thorough probe on two separate but almost simultaneous explosions that rocked the province of Basilan Thursday night.

No one was reported killed or injured in the blasts which took place seconds apart past 9 p.m. Thursday except for the damage of the vehicle of mayoral candidate, incumbent Lamitan City Vice-Mayor Arleigh Eisma.

Lamitan City police station commander Chief Insp. Abmer Ismael on Friday said the vehicle of Eisma was parked in front of the latter’s residence along Aguinaldo Street in Barangay Maganda when the first bomb exploded.

The second bomb went off seconds later in front of a chapel in Barangay Colonia, also in Lamitan City, Ismael said.

He said the bombs used by the suspects are both classified as improvised explosive device (IED) or homemade explosive based on the fragments gathered from the blast sites.

He said that a witness is unlikely since it was blackout at the time of the incidents.

Meanwhile, police authorities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has directed the Basilan police provincial office to institute stricter measures to prevent violence ahead of the midterm elections.

Chief Supt. Noel delos Santos, ARMM police regional director, has directed Senior Supt. Mario Dapillosa to establish surprise checkpoints to thwart any attempt at destabilizing the campaign period in Basilan and Isabela City.

This after unidentified men set off two improvised explosive devices in separate areas in Basilan Thursday night.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=517865