Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Police to file raps vs suspect on Bukidnon bus bombing

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Nov 11): Police to file raps vs suspect on Bukidnon bus bombing

AUTHORITIES are already preparing to file charges as they have identified Tuesday the suspect in the November 6 bombing of a Rural Transit Mindanao Incorporated (RTMI) passenger bus in Barangay Dologon, Maramag town, Bukidnon.

According to Inspector Jose Regner Sevilleno, Maramag police deputy chief, they are expected to file the complaint anytime at the Bukidnon provincial prosecutor’s office today, November 12.

Sevilleno said he could not yet divulge the identity of the suspect or the organization he is affiliated with until the complaint is filed.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad, commanding general of the Philippine Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command, has pointed a finger at the Islamist extremist organization Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters as the one responsible for carrying out the attack.

Sevilleno said they were able to form a computer-generated composite of the suspect based on the description given by the witnesses, and with the help of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Central Mindanao.

A rogue’s gallery provided by the CIDG-Central Mindanao also helped the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) 204 in identifying the suspect who emailed to investigators a rogue’s gallery.

“All of the pictures in the rogue’s gallery were emailed by the CIDG-Central Mindanao and compared to the artist’s sketch, our witnesses identified that one of those pictures on the rogue’s gallery was the suspect,” Sevilleno told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in a telephone interview Tuesday.

Sevilleno said the suspect will face multiple frustrated murder and damage to property charges.

At present, the SITG has gathered four notarized affidavits from witnesses, including those who were hurt by the blast.

According to witnesses, the perpetrator was one of the passengers who boarded the bus at Cotabato and alighted at Maramag.

He said the suspect is part of the group responsible for the series of bombing incidents in other areas in Mindanao.

Sevilleno said the all the resources of the Bukidnon police and the local intelligence community were poured to track down the perpetrator.

He said at present the lone suspect will face the charges, but later the group’s top leaders will follow suit since he only obeyed orders from his higher-ups.

“If we can establish if there was conspiracy in that action, then we will include the group’s leaders,” he added.

Sevilleno said the bombing may be considered as an act of terrorism but it’s hard to prove in court.

Investigators concluded that the improvised explosive device (IED), made of a 60 mm mortar shell, was cellphone-activated, based on the fragments found at the site.

The passenger bus was bound for Cagayan de Oro when it exploded and injured four passengers.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/11/11/police-file-raps-vs-suspect-bukidnon-bus-bombing-376034

Bomb defused in Basilan

From MindaNews (Nov 11): Bomb defused in Basilan

A bombing attempt was foiled late Monday in Isabela City, Basilan province, a police official said.

Supt. Albert Larubis, Isabela City police chief, said this came about after police and military bomb experts recovered and defused a cellphone-triggered improvised explosive.

Larubis said the improvised bomb, which was placed inside a cooking pot wrapped with packaging tape, was discovered around 8:30 p.m. Monday at a gasoline station in Barangay Riverside, Isabela City.

He said the bomb was classified as ammonium nitrate fuel oil.

The police official said investigation showed the explosive was left by two persons who came aboard a motorcycle about 6:30 p.m. Monday at the gasoline station.
 
He said no one was able to recognize the suspects since the driver was wearing ski mask while his companion covered his face with a handkerchief.

“The explosive was successfully disarmed,” Larubis said.

He said the improvised bomb components included parts of a cellphone as the triggering mechanism and ammonium nitrate.

http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2014/11/12/bomb-defused-in-basilan/

Army commander in Occidental Mindoro relieved of duty after NPA attack

From GMA News (Nov 11): Army commander in Occidental Mindoro relieved of duty after NPA attack

An Army battalion commander in Occidental Mindoro has been ordered relieved from his post following last Friday's attack of communist New People's Army (NPA) rebels there that left three people dead.

Lt. Col. Mario Africa was relieved as chief of the 76th Infantry Battalion in order to give way to a transparent investigation, said Maj. Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the military's Southern Luzon Command.

“He was relieved because of what has happened,” Guzman said. “If there are incidents such as this, it's SOP [standard operating procedure] on our part to conduct an investigation.”

The investigation is being carried out by the Armed Forces' 2nd Infantry Division, Guzman said.

“The investigation will focus on what happened, if there are lapses so that we can improve the conduct of our operations in the future,” he added.

Guzman also said that Africa was succeeded by Lt. Col. Michael Licyayo as chief of the 76th Infantry Battalion.

Last Friday, a soldier, a policeman and a civilian were killed while four other policemen were wounded after 50 NPA rebels attacked a police station in Occidental Mindoro.

The rebels also seized town Mayor Williard Sanchez and his administrative staff who were used as human shields. They were eventually released.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/387603/news/regions/army-commander-in-occidental-mindoro-relieved-of-duty-after-npa-attack

Eastmincom chief: NPA still top threat but strength, support ebbing

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Nov 11): Eastmincom chief: NPA still top threat but strength, support ebbing

ALTHOUGH the New People’s Army (NPA) has remained as the number one security threat in the country, a military official said the Maoist insurgents’ strength and support has been eroding.

In the past few weeks, the military has engaged in firefights with the NPA every day within the area of responsibility of the Philippine Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom).

Lieutenant General Aurelio Baladad, Eastmincom chief, said in the last two months, the units under his command, the 4th and 10th Infantry Divisions, are averaging one encounter with the armed insurgents a day. In the last 10 days, it has increased to two firefights a day.

In the areas covered by the 4ID (northern Mindanao and Caraga regions), the troops have engaged the enemy 29 times last month, Baladad said.

The difference, he added, is that the military is now targeting NPA main camps.

“Hindi na tayo nag-eengkwentro sa tabi-tabi lang, nag-eengkwentro tayo sa guerrilla base nila (we are no longer engaging them in some random area, but in their main camps), and that is a very big difference,” Baladad said.

Just recently, the 4ID scored against the NPA when soldiers from the 3rd Special Forces Battalion attacked a major rebel encampment in Sitio Hebron, Barangay Tubigon, Sibagat town in Agusan del Sur.

Considered as an NPA regional headquarters in Caraga, the camp housed some 80 guerrilla fighters who fled when the Special Forces platoon closed in on them during a 30-minute exchange of fire. Weapons and assorted items were retrieved from the site.

Baladad said that although he and 4ID commander, Major General Oscar Lactao, are new to their present positions, “we have infused new activities and programs as part of the campaign plan. We have injected new innovations and they’re paying results as of now.”

Significant strides

Per Lactao’s report to Baladad, the 4ID’s accomplishment in the last month is very important in a sense that the military is fighting the enemy in their own turf.

He added that in a short span of time as the 4ID commander, Lactao has made “significant strides.”

“Encounters happen in areas where the NPAs think they are formidable and influential, nasa looban, nasa bundok na. They have nowhere to hide,” Baladad added.

In a separate interview, Lactao said one of the remedies the 4ID has introduced to thwart any threat to the security in his AOR is the strengthening of checkpoints, manned by the military in coordination with the police.

Lactao said the army needs the police and civilians since the 4ID cannot afford to deploy soldiers in every corner of its area.

He said the 4ID area has around 4.2 million inhabitants, and if the ratio is to be followed, the military needs at least 8 million soldiers to keep watch but the division practically does not have that many enlisted troops.

To bring back lasting peace in Mindanao, Lactao said it should be the people themselves who will say “ayaw naming ng gulo, ‘wag na tayong magpatayan. Ihinto na natin ‘to (We don’t want war, let’s stop killing each other. We must put a stop to all this).”

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/11/11/eastmincom-chief-npa-still-top-threat-strength-support-ebbing-3

300 villagers flee Agusan gunfight

From Tempo (Nov 12): 300 villagers flee Agusan gunfight

NASIPIT, Agusan del Norte – Some 70 families or more than 300 individuals fled homes as firefight erupted between government forces and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels at the border of Nasipit and Buenavista in Agusan del Norte.

Villagers from Tagbabacon and Sumagayad are now temporarily housed in Culit Gym and Sumagayad Gym, both in this town.

The municipal government of Nasipit, upon the directive of Mayor Enrico Corvera, dispatched dump trucks to assist the fleeing villagers.

Corvera also mobilized the town’s social welfare office for the distribution of food packs, canned goods, noodles and sacks of rice to the evacuation centers.

The mass evacuation occurred when peace and development teams of the Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion (29th IB) engaged in a fierce firefight with the communist insurgents at 12:15 p.m. on Monday.

The initial 15-minute firefight started at Sitio Tacub, Barangay Rizal, Buenavista. It was followed by a running gun battle.

“Our ground troops possibly killed or wounded the running NPA’s due to blood stains in the encounter site and their escape route of withdrawal,” Maj. Christian C. Uy, regional Army spokesman, said.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2014/11/300-villagers-flee-agusan-gunfight/#.VGLvbs8tBjo

UN cites 30 Pinoy peacekeeper-cops in Liberia

From GMA News (Nov 10): UN cites 30 Pinoy peacekeeper-cops in Liberia

Pinoy UN peacekeepers to be quarantined on island

A member of the PNP-AFP Contingent to Liberia receives a recognition award and medal from head of mission Sr. Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag on November 5, 2014 prior to the peacekeepers' departure from Liberia. The Pinoy peacekeepers are scheduled to arrive at Villamor Airbase on Tuesday, November 11, before they will be shipped to Caballo Island for a 21-day quarantine against the Ebola virus. GMA News

Some 30 peacekeepers sent by the Philippine National Police (PNP) to Liberia have been honored by the United Nations (UN) before their scheduled departure to Manila.
 
In a statement on Monday, the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) said the peacekeepers, led by Deputy Police Commissioner Cesar Hawthorne Binag, were cited "in two separate occasions" at the UNMIL headquarters in the capital of Monrovia.
 
Binag, along with Police Commissioner Greg Hinds, were recognized in a UN Medal ceremony on November 5 "for their hard work, patient and inspirational leadership as demonstrated in the exemplary performance of the UN Police."
 
In a separate ceremony the following day, 29 PNP officers, headed by Contingent commander Supt. Eduardo Abaday, also received the coveted UN Medal.
 
Karin Landgren, UN chief of mission and special representative of the Secretary General of the UN, said the peacekeepers played a critical role in UNMIL's "complex mandate to build and develop the institutional capacity of Liberia's law enforcement agencies" amid threats, particularly that of the Ebola virus.
 
Their counterparts from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, consist of members of the Air Force, were given similar citations last June, Binag said in a statement.
 
Most of the peacekeepers are expected to arrive in the Philippines on Wednesday afternoon, when they will immediately be taken to Caballo Island near Corregidor for a 21-day quarantine.
 
In a press conference on Monday, AFP chief Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. said the contingent—made up of 108 members of the Air Force, 24 members of the PNP, and one member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) -- "all passed the Ebola Screening Test" conducted by UNMIL, which is required for contingents that will be repatriated.
 
The peacekeepers belong to the "No Risk" category because they did not deal with Ebola patients, Catapang said, adding that the quarantine was only part of the protocol.
 
Binag, Abaday, and three others will be the left-behind party in charge of administrative check-out procedures for the contingent and will follow in a separate flight out to Manila, the UNMIL statement said.
 

US Embassy to honor Filipino World War I veterans

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Nov 10): US Embassy to honor Filipino World War I veterans
Filipino veterans of World War I are set to be honored by the US Embassy in ceremonies to be held at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in Taguig City on Tuesday, November 11.

“US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg will lead the American and Filipino community and guests in honoring the sacrifices of American and Filipino Veterans at the annual Veterans Day ceremony,” the Embassy said in a statement Monday.

“Veterans of both nations will participate in the event, along with representatives from the US Embassy, the Government of the Philippines, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), including General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr., AFP Chief of Staff,” it said.

The US Embassy and its offices will also be closed the whole day for the observance of Veterans Day which is an American Holiday.

“Veterans Day is celebrated every year in the US on November 11, which is the day that major hostilities of World War I formally ended with the signing of the Armistice at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918,” the Embassy said.

The Veterans Day ceremony will begin at 10:45 a.m. and will be open to the public.

The lives of more than nine million soldiers and seven million civilians were lost because of the war that lasted from July 1914 to November 1918.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/114119/us-embassy-to-honor-filipino-world-war-i-veterans/

House panel okays hike in soldiers’ subsistence allowance

From the Business Mirror (Nov 11): House panel okays hike in soldiers’ subsistence allowance

THE House Committee on Appropriation recently approved a resolution calling for an increase in the subsistence allowance of military officers and personnel.
 
Party-list Reps. Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo and Gary C. Alejano of Magdalo expressed confidence that the House of Representatives will pass the proposed increase in the subsistence allowance for all officers, enlisted men and related personnel listed in House Joint Resolution (HJR) 11 on November 17, the resumption of the session. 
 
“The House Committee on Appropriations has already approved and recommended the plenary consideration and passage of House Joint Resolution 11,” they said in a statement.
 
HJR 11 is titled “Joint Resolution increasing the subsistence allowance of all officers, enlisted personnel, candidate soldiers, probationary second lieutenants, cadets and civilian active auxiliaries of the Armed Forces of the Philippines  and all commissioned and non-commissioned personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology  and the Philippine National Police Academy  cadets from P90 to P150 per day, effective July 2014.”
 
The lawmakers noted that the Senate has recently passed a similar, or counterpart, Senate Joint Resolution 2, which the Department of Budget and Management endorsed for enactment, with the recommendation to include the uniformed personnel of the PCG and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority  as well as for the increase in manpower of certain agencies.
 
“It is high time that we recognize and honor the very vital roles played by our soldiers and policemen and related personnel by looking after their welfare and providing them with decent and adequate compensation as well as reasonable and substantial benefits,” they said.
 
The authors also said that the current subsistence allowance they receive can hardly support the subsistence of the family of soldiers and police personnel, noting that the National Statistics Office officially stated that monthly cost of living for a family of five should be at least P13,200 in order to recoup a decent living.
 
“It is the prime concern of the State to provide adequate remuneration and benefits for the protectors of our people,” the lawmakers said as they appealed for the support of their colleagues for the timely passage of the measure. 
 

No rights violations in clashes, CHR says

From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 11): No rights violations in clashes, CHR says


The Commission on Human Rights said yesterday that there are no reports of human rights violations, so far, on the weekend encounter between government troops and suspected New People’s Army rebels in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.


CHR-Negros Oriental investigator, Jess Cañete, said he had spoken to barangay officials and residents of Mani-ac and neighboring areas Sunday, hours after two clashes in the barangay and it showed that nobody had complained of human rights violations. Cañete, however said it is still too early to tell. His office is open in case of complaints, he added.


One alleged rebel was killed, and a soldier slightly wounded during the encounters Sunday in Sitios Magkaatip and Nabuswangan in Barangay Mani-ac, where an abandoned camp, believed to be that of the NPA, was discovered.


Army troopers of the 11th Infantry Battalion based in Guihulngan City had engaged the suspected armed men in 20 minutes of firefight before the latter fled, leaving behind their dead companion.


Cañete said his presence was requested to ascertain that no human rights were violated and that the operations were legitimate and that, there was indeed an armed engagement.


This is a protocol earlier agreed on by the CHR, the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police in the province as part of government campaign to promote respect for human rights, he said.


He also said he wanted to take a look at the dead “rebel” to see if there is a probability the man died of “combat wounds”, instead of just from an ordinary shooting spree.


The residents told Cañete that the encounter was legitimate, with sporadic gunfire heard from various directions. While they assured that there were no human rights violated however they expressed fear of more armed clashes, and have considered evacuating.


Cañete said he and the Army officials urged the resident to remain in their homes as they are assured of their safety.


http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/November/11/negor3.htm

Rebels in Guihulngan encounters linked to death of brgy captain, wife

From the Visayan Daily Star (Nov 11): Rebels in Guihulngan encounters linked to death of brgy captain, wife


Suspected New People’s Army rebels, who figured in two successive encounters with 11th Infantry Battalion soldiers Monday in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were tagged by a military official in the ambush and killing of a barangay official and his wife, as well as the liquidation of a government militiaman last month.


1Lt. Chino Cornelio, who with his men, figured in two armed engagements Monday, yesterday said members of Leonardo Panaligan Command Sentro De Grabidad platoon, whom they encountered, were responsible for the ambush-slay of barangay chairman George Sadagnot and his wife, Glen, on Oct. 13 in Barangay Tinayunan Hill, Guihulngan City.


Cornelio said the rebel group is also responsible for the summary execution of CAFGU member Joel Villanosa, who was killed Oct. 23 in Brgy. Sikatuna, also in Guihulngan City.


Meanwhile, the suspected rebel killed in an encounter with 11IB troopers in Brgy. Mani-ac, Guihulngan City, was identified yesterday by 1Lt. Von Ryan Gomez as Welbourne Babor, alias Ronel.


A KG9 sub-machine gun, a rifle grenade, three M203 grenade launcher ammunition, a hammock and four backpacks containing personal belongings, assorted medicines, training materials and subversive documents were recovered at the encounter site.


Gomez, who is the 11IB Civil Military Operations officer, claimed that Babor served as the Finance and Logistic officer of the Leonardo Panaligan Command.


The encounters also led to the discovery of a rebel camp, while an Army soldier was also slightly injured in the gunbattle, military records show.


Gomez said the body of Babor was claimed yesterday by his family and relatives.


He also said that the barangay chairman of Mani-ac has issued a certificate that it was a legitimate encounter.


http://www.visayandailystar.com/2014/November/11/negor2.htm

AFP captures Abu Sayyaf bomb factory in Basilan

From Rappler (Nov 11): AFP captures Abu Sayyaf bomb factory in Basilan


Up to 500 families have been evacuated and communication networks were also deactivated in 3 municipalities due to the military offensive


The military said it captured the Abu Sayyaf Group's crude bomb factory in Basilan province following a military offensive launched Sunday night, November 11.



"Before midnight of November 9, the joint forces of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) spearheaded by the combined elements of 104th Brigade conducted a deliberate attack against Abu Sayyaf Group under Furuji Indama and his IED (Improvised Explosive Device) factory at Tipo-Tipo, Basilan Province," said Westmincom spokesperson Captain Rowena Muyuela.


Colonel Rolando Bautista, commander of the 104th Brigade in Basilan, said the military offensive included a combination of artillery and mortar fires, which was followed by a ground assault. Some of the IEDs exploded during the offensive, he said.


According to reports from the area, up to 500 families were evacuated due to the military offensive. The communication networks were also deactivated in 3 municipalities: Tipo-Tipo, Sumisip, and Ungkaya Pukan.

Bautista said they are still validating reported deaths on the part of the Abu Sayyaf.


Local government officials in Basilan called for intensified military operations against the Abu Sayyaf following the death of 6 soldiers, including a junior officer, in an ambush by the Abu Sayyaf. (READ: Basilan's hero: Fresh PMA grad dies in Abu Sayyaf hands)


"The main intent of the operation is to allay the fears of the civilians and local officials in view of the series of atrocities, kidnapping and extortion committed by the group of Indama," said Muyuela.


http://www.rappler.com/nation/74750-basilan-evacuate-bomb-factory

Govt troops capture Abu Sayyaf 'IED factory' in Basilan

From InterAksyon (Nov 11): Govt troops capture Abu Sayyaf 'IED factory' in Basilan


Government troops captured what the military called an improvised explosive device “factory” of the Abu Sayyaf in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan late Monday night.


Colonel Rolando Bautista, commander of the 104th Infantry Brigade, said the capture of the facility in Barangay Baguindan by ground troops was preceded by mortar shelling that triggered “sympathetic explosions” of assembled bombs.


Bautista also said they were still verifying casualties among Abu Sayyaf fighters who were at the camp at the time of the assault.


http://www.interaksyon.com/article/98992/govt-troops-capture-abu-sayyaf-ied-factory-in-basilan

Police: Zambo blasts meant for cops

From MindaNews (Nov 11): Police: Zambo blasts meant for cops


Late Sunday’s twin bomb explosions appeared to be meant for the first responders such as the explosive ordnance demolition (EOD) team and policemen, a police official said.


Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, Zamboanga City Police Office director, said Monday that the first explosion was on “low order” as it did not hurt anyone nor create damage.


The first explosion occurred around 7:30 p.m. Sunday on the second floor of a building occupied by a massage parlor along Tomas Claudio Street, downtown.


The second blast, which Casimiro described as coming from a “high order” explosive, occurred 15 minutes later at the ground floor of the same building occupied by a karaoke bar.


Casimiro said low order explosive refers to a “weak” bomb intended only to attract attention, and high order as a “strong” explosive designed to inflict injuries or death.


He disclosed that both improvised bombs were classified as ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosives.


No one was either killed or injured in the first explosion while PO2 Franklin Ined, a member of the EOD team of the city police, and a bomb-sniffing dog named “Diego” were injured in the second explosion.


Casimiro said the suspect waited for the EOD team and other policemen to come before detonating the second improvised bomb.


“We believed that the first responders were the targets as it (the second bomb) was command-detonated,” Casimiro said citing the improvised bombs uses were cellphone-triggered explosives.


He said Ined underwent surgery and “is now in stable condition.”


He said that city veterinarian Dr. Mario Arriola, City Veterinarian had treated “Diego,” who was slightly injured.


He said the dog will undergo rehabilitation to determine if he could still serve with the K9 unit.


Casimiro has released Monday the artist’s and computer-generated sketches of the suspect based on the description provided to them by witnesses.


He described the suspect as 25-27 years old, medium built, and with fair complexion.


http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2014/11/11/police-zambo-blasts-meant-for-cops/

2 rebels killed, 4 others wounded in Sultan Kudarat

From MindaNews (Nov 11): 2 rebels killed, 4 others wounded in Sultan Kudarat


At least two rebels were killed, four others were wounded, and another one was captured in ongoing military operations conducted by the 33rd Infantry Battalion against the New People’s Army in Sultan Kudarat province, an official said.


Lt Col, Markton Abo, commanding officer of the 33IB said one soldier was also wounded during clashes with the rebel group in Ninoy Aquino town.


Personnel from the police force of Sultan Kudarat joined the 33IB in the operations against the rebel group reportedly led by a certain commander Red of NPA Front 53.


The NPA rebels were reportedly doing recruitment among the indigenous tribes in Sen. Ninoy Aquino.


Supt. Rex Dela Rosa, provincial police director said they have been operating since last week.


“The NPAs are recruiting indigenous groups capitalizing on land conflict issues to convince them, and after we verified the report we immediately launched a joint combat operation”, Dela Rosa said.


He added the NPA moved to Sultan Kudarat province after persistent military operations against them in nearby Maasim town in Sarangani province.


Col. Mel Feliciano, 601st Infantry Brigade commander said one NPA rebel identified as “Pastor” was captured along with his AK-47 rifle during a firefight last Saturday in Sitio Uminay, Barangay Nati, in Sen. Ninoy Aquino.


He said the rebels withdrew to nearby Barangay Ned in Lake Sebu town, South Cotabato where residents had started to flee.


http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2014/11/11/2-rebels-killed-4-others-wounded-in-sultan-kudarat/

Police foil new bombing attempt in Philippines

From the Mindanao Examiner BlogSpot site (Nov 11): Police foil new bombing attempt in Philippines


Police and military have disarmed an improvised explosive left at a gas station in Isabela City in the restive southern Philippine province of Basilan, officials said Tuesday.


Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, a regional police spokesman, said two masked men on a motorcycle left a plastic bag containing the explosive at the ASL gasoline station.


He said the explosive, whose ingredient was mostly ammonium nitrate, and wired to a blasting cap and cell phone as triggering device, was inside a cooking pot when recovered by members of the local bomb squad late Monday.

“Post-blast investigation revealed that the IED was placed by two suspicious persons riding on red motorcycle - one wearing a bonnet and the other had a handkerchief covering his face – and they immediately fled,” Samuddin said. “The explosive was successfully disarmed and there is no reported damage to properties. Investigation is still going on.”

The foiled bombing occurred a day after the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City said troops assaulted an Abu Sayyaf bomb factory in Tipo-Tipo town where security forces are pursuing militants headed by Puruji Indama.


Military spokeswoman Captain Maria Rowena Muyuela also tagged Indama as behind the twin bombings in Zamboanga City recently.

“The main intent of the operation is to allay the fears of the civilians and local officials in view of the series of atrocities, kidnapping and extortion committed by the group of Indama,” Muyuela said. “This operation also shows the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police’s commitment to the people of Basilan to have lasting peace and development to this island province.”

She did not say if there were Abu Sayyaf casualties in the assault.

Security forces in Basilan also heightened their patrol following the foiled bombing. Police and military have earlier tightened security in Zamboanga City following the two bomb explosions at the Deluxe Massage and Karaoke Bar at Tomas Claudio Street that injured a member of the police bomb squad - PO2 Manuel Franklin Ined, Sr.

Police also released the facial composite of the alleged bomber based on the description of several witnesses. The mayor of Zamboanga, Maria Isabelle Salazar, offered a P50,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the apprehension of the bomber.

Police have cordoned off the blast site shortly after the explosions and forensic experts recovered pieces of electrical wiring, dry cell and shrapnel believed to be parts of the bombs left inside the bar. Traces of ammonium nitrate were also found at the scene.

The blast occurred just as security forces deployed more personnel to guard some 7,500 who are attending the week-long Centennial Jamboree in Zamboanga City.

Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar has assured the safety of scouters who are camping out at the sprawling compound of the Zamboanga City Economic and Freeport Zone in San Ramon village where armed soldiers and policemen, backed by armored vehicles, were guarding them.

“The public is advised to stay calm, but vigilant and report suspicious persons or bags and other items to (emergency telephones) 117 or 166. Authorities are in control of the situation, that the city, particularly the Boy Scouts of the Philippines jamboree participants are safe and sound. The blast site is over 20 kilometers away from the jamboree site in Ecozone,” she said.

Last month, police bomb squad also disrupted an improvised explosive abandoned at the Plaza Pershing also in downtown Zamboanga. The explosive was hidden in a thermos that contained nails and ammonium nitrate, a banned chemical fertilizer widely used by rebels in the manufacture of homemade bombs. And several bomb explosions were also reported in Isabela City with one police report saying the bombers escaped on a pick-up truck.

The Abu Sayyaf, blamed by authorities to the spate of bombings and killings in the southern Philippines, has recently pledged allegiance to the jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.


http://www.mindanaoexaminer.net/2014/11/police-foil-new-bombing-attempt-in.html