Cops foil bombing in Lamitan City

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 15, 2022): Cops foil bombing in Lamitan City (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.) 

State security forces foiled a bomb attack against an aspirant for town mayor as they prevented an improvised explosive device from blowing up Saturday in Lamitan City, Basilan province.

Maj. Nurhaib Bungkac, Lamitan City police chief, said they coordinated with the Provincial K9 Unit after a suspicious item was found around 8:30 a.m. in front of the house of Hadja Arsima Gappar in Barangay Matibay.

Gappar is the incumbent barangay chairperson of Semut in Akbar town and is a mayoralty aspirant.

Bungkac said the K9 and explosive ordnance demolition personnel of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) confirmed after a thorough assessment that the suspicious item was a cellular phone-triggered IED.

“The EOD team immediately conducted render safety procedure through disruption operation using disruptor,” Bungkac said in a phone interview.

He said the EOD recovered the following IED component: a cellular phone with subscriber identification module (SIM) card; a blasting cap; 143 two-inch concrete nails as shrapnel; one and three-fourth kilogram C4 explosive; steel pipe covered with a galvanized sheet; wire; and, plastic bag.

He said the investigation continues to identify the suspects behind the foiled bombing.

He also alerted the police forces to prevent a repeat of the bombing in the city.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1165510