4 hurt in North Cotabato town explosion

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Four people were hurt when an improvised explosive device went off in the town of Kabacan, North Cotabato shortly before 7 p.m. on Friday evening, police said.

Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas, North Cotabato police chief, said the explosion took place on the corner of Malvar and Aglipay Streets in Barangay (village) Poblacion.

Sustaining minor injuries were Elsa Araiz, 42; Russel Vigwas, 18; Jovelyn Haro, 19; and Darwin Galas 40.

“They are now safe in the hospital,” Salinas said in a text message.

Salinas said based on initial findings of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, the bomb, fashioned from an 81-millimeter mortar shell with a mobile phone as triggering mechanism, may have prematurely exploded.

He urged residents to be more vigilant and report to nearest police outpost any suspicious looking individual to pre-empt similar incidents from happening in Kabacan.

In Cotabato City, an improvised explosive device was recovered late Friday, a military spokesman said Saturday.

In a text message to Manila-based reporters, Eastern Mindanao Command Spokesman Colonel Leopoldo Galon said that responding joint units from the 6th Infantry Division’s Army Support Command and elements from the Joint Task Force Kotawato recovered the IED at 8:45 p.m. along Gutierrez Avenue.

The IED was composed of two cartridges of 81-millimeter ammunition with fuse, a cellphone with sim card, three 9-volt batteries and one electronic circuit diagram with relay, Galon said.

In a separate report from Inquirer Mindanao, it was a passerby who alerted the police about a suspicious bag, which was found later on to contain the bomb, that was left unattended at the back of a parked van on Gutierrez Avenue.

The discovery of the IED came three days after authorities foiled an attempt to set off a bomb inside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao compound here.

Authorities believed the discovery of explosives had something to do with the assumption of ARMM OIC Governor Mujib Hataman whose appointment by President Benigno Aquino III has solicited opposition from various groups, including the one claiming they belonged to Bangsamoro Youth Organization.

On that day, another bomb also went off along a busy Sinsuat Avenue at about 7 p.m. but nobody was hurt.

Following the discovery of an IED along Gutierrez Street which was composed of two 81mm mortar rounds, police arrested three persons believed to be responsible for the rash of bomb explosions in the city.

Senior Supt. Danny Reyes, city police chief, said Datukan Lontok Samad alias “Lastikman,” and two companions identified as Guiamelon Pangako and Eliseo Lamayo, were arrested following a brief chase by Police and Marine soldiers in Barangay Poblacion 1.

“The police and Marines became suspicious when they evaded the checkpoint when flagged down,” Reyes said.

Lawmen recovered a hand grenade, a hand gun and a motorbike from the suspects. Williamor A. Magbanua and Edwin O. Fernandez Inquirer Mindanao; Kate Evangelista, INQUIRER.net

Originally posted at 09:40 am | Saturday, December 24, 2011