Bomb-making materials cache seized in Cavite

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 15, 2021): Bomb-making materials cache seized in Cavite (By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

ANTI-TERROR DRIVE. PNP chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (center) inspects the sacks of ammonium nitrate and blasting caps seized in a joint police and military operation in General Trias City, Cavite on Thursday (Oct. 14, 2021). The seized bomb-making materials have an estimated market value of around PHP200,000. (Photo courtesy of PNP)

Police and military personnel seized a cache of bomb-making materials in a joint operation in General Trias City, Cavite on Thursday.

Citing reports from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Friday identified the suspects as Charlito Tenorio and Jay-Ar Suson, who were arrested in separate operations.

Tenorio was arrested in a buy-bust in Barangay Bacao 2, General Trias City, Cavite at 12:30 p.m. while Suson, the alleged mastermind, was arrested in a follow-up operation in Tayabas, Quezon at 5:30 p.m.

Tenorio yielded 750 kilograms of ammonium nitrate contained in 30 25-kilogram sacks and 1,000 improvised blasting caps, all loaded in a commuter van.

CIDG director, Maj. Gen. Albert Ignatius Ferro said the components of the confiscated explosives worth PHP200,000 were being negotiated for sale by the suspects.

Eleazar instructed Ferro to dig deeper into the activities of the suspects to identify all persons involved in their operations as well as their clients.

He added that these types of explosive materials are “commonly used for industrial purposes", but can also be used as components for improvised explosive devices.

“With this successful operation, we may have prevented the possibility of these materials being used for criminal activities,” Eleazar said.

Ferro described the seized explosives as having a blast radius of 1.5 kilometers.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156742