Alert market guard foils bomb attack in Sultan Kudarat

From the Philippine News Agency (May 22): Alert market guard foils bomb attack in Sultan Kudarat

An alert market guard today prevented what could have been a bloody Monday morning after he confronted three men suspiciously leaving a bag in front of the public market here, police said.

Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said the guard on duty noticed three men on board a motorbike arrived at 1:30 a.m.

"The guard save the lives of innocent people by smartness," Supiter told the Philippine News Agency by phone.

They suspiciously observed the surroundings then unloaded a black bag in the spot where military personnel normally parked Army trucks while doing their marketing chores.

The market guard, Supiter said, became suspicious they have an ill motive so he yelled at them, asking what's in the bag.

But the three men hurriedly left, leaving behind the bag and a Kawasaki Baja motorbike. The guard suspected it was a bomb.

Supiter said the guard, who he refused to name for security reason, alerted the local police, who responded and cordoned off the area.

While police and bomb experts were cordoning the area preparing to check on the suspicious bag, it suddenly went off.

Supiter said nobody was hurt.

The motorbike is now in police custody and authorities are coordinating with the local Land Transportation Office (LTO) to determine the ownership of the vehicle

Supiter theorized the improvised explosive device could be meant for soldiers who do marketing chores every dawn and parked their Army vehicle near the market exit road, the same spot where the three men were to plant the bomb.

Supiter said it could be a retaliation by lawless elements who were the subject of military operation in Barangay Bual, about 20 kilometers from the town's central market.

"Yes, probably they wanted to get back at the military," Supiter said.

At least 11 bandits have been killed in a joint police and Army operations in Barangay Bual since last week.

Goverment forces were to serve warrants of arrest against a certain Kagi Dimas alias "Commander Dragon," who was into illegal mining and extortion activities in the village of Bual.

Assorted firearms and explosives were recovered in that operation that also injured a soldier.

Supiter lauded the market guard and directed all police stations across the province to raise their alert status for possible destabilization attempts by supporters and sympathizers of Commander Dragon.

Isulan, the capital of Sultan Kudarat, has been the scene of several bombing attempts in the past, mostly in the market, terminal and other populated areas.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/989713