Mandaue police still awaiting bomb pickup from military

THE Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) is still waiting for the Central Command to pick up the assorted vintage bombs that were stockpiled at a scrapyard in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City.

Senior Supt. James Goforth, MCPO’s chief of operations, said there were only 35 live bombs out of the 385 assorted bombs that were transported on board two trucks late last Monday evening.

He said the live bombs were covered properly with old tires based on the advice of bomb squad personnel headed by Supt. Arnel Banzon, chief of the Explosives Ordnance Division of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

The live bombs were stockpiled properly at a vacant lot in the scrapyard of Tin Guan property in Barangay Looc.

“In case it explodes, the tires could somehow reduce the damage,” Goforth said.

He said the bombs won’t stay in the scrapyard for long as the Central Command is already making arrangements to deliver them directly to the Biga mining pit in Toledo City.

Lt. Col. Christopher Tampus, Central Command spokesman, said Looc barangay captain Raul “Pokang” Cabahug will meet with police today to find out why the bombs were placed at the Tin Guan scrapyard.

Cabahug said he read yesterday’s banner story in Cebu Daily News and voiced concern over the presence of the bombs in the barangay.  “I have a sibling there who lives near the Tin Guan scrapyard,” he said.

The management of Tin Guan Trading Corp. still refused to grant interviews as of this time.

They admitted that their laborers found the bombs while cleaning their property at the Holy Family One Village in barangay Banilad, Mandaue City last Monday.

Construction workers also uncovered vintage World War II bombs in a beach area in Kawit Island off Cebu City’s South Road Properties last January 24. /Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza