Bomb experts defuse IED found near Kidapawan police station

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 6): Bomb experts defuse IED found near Kidapawan police station

Bomb experts defused an improvised explosive device (IED) the police recovered at the back of their headquarters along Jose P. Laurel St., here, around 11:30 a.m., Sunday. Operatives of the Army’s 63rd Explosives and Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Team used a ball-charged disruptor to defuse the IED. The EOD said the bomb used two 60-mm mortars attached to each other as main charge. A detonating cord was tied to it and the mobile phone as triggering device.

After the disruption, the EOD team, including the Scene of the Crimes Operatives (SOCO) in North Cotabato, are still in search of the blasting cap. The blasting cap, according to them, is important to determine if the explosive is set to ignite or not. The IED recovery took place two days after the turnover of new police command in Kidapawan City.

On Friday, Supt. Renante Cabico relinquished his post to Supt. Joseph Semillano, former Midsayap municipal police station, as the new city police director. The turnover was witnessed by Sr. Supt. Danny Peralta, new Cotabato provincial police director.

The incident also happened while the culmination of the three-day city sports meet is ongoing at the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School, which is just a block away from the police station. Authorities have yet to know if the latest IED recovery in Kidapawan City is, in a way, connected to the bomb attacks in nearby Tacurong City and Isulan in Sultan Kudarat.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=484830