Abu Sayyaf bombs DPWH officials’ residences in Basilan

From the Manila Bulletin (Feb 2): Abu Sayyaf bombs DPWH officials’ residences in Basilan

Suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) detonated an Improvise Explosive Device (IED) outside the residence of the district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) in Basilan late Thursday night.

Another IED was recovered by police and military authorities outside the perimeter fence of DPWH-ARMM Basilan assistant district engineer.

Police and military authorities here said the explosion occurred at around 9:50 p.m. Thursday at the perimeter fence of DPWH-ARMM District Engineer Soler Undug’s house located at Calle Bisaya in this city, while the Undug family was preparing to go to bed.

The authorities here said another IED, which failed to explode, was also found by the police and military authorities outside the residence of DPWH-ARMM Basilan assistant district engineer Salonga ‘Bong’ Lasatan, located in the village of Aguada, which is just a few meters away from the residence of Undug.

No one was hurt because of the twin explosions, but these caused mild panic among residents in the area.

“(The police and military) know these people who are involved in extortion and insurgency activities here. But still they cannot arrest them with the implementation of martial law in Mindanao,” some residents living near the blast site said.

A government official in this province, who declined to be named, challenge police and military authorities here to go after these rogue elements.

The police said a cellular phone was used as triggering device for the IEDs.

Undug said footage from a close circuit television (CCTV) camera installed outside his residence showed four persons planting the IED. He said that a copy of the footage is now with the police and military.

Undug said he has been receiving extortion text messages from the ASG, threatening him and his family with harm if they do not give in to their demand for protection money.

Alarmed local residents said the police and military authorities should strengthen their security and intelligence network in order to avoid a similar incident from happening again.

They called on the police officials and Task Force Basilan commander Col. Juvimax Uy to be more earnest in implementing martial law in Basilan Province.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/02/abu-sayyaf-bombs-dpwh-officials-residences-in-basilan/