2 improvised bombs found at General Santos City gas station

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — Bomb experts on Sunday night defused two improvised bombs fashioned from 60mm mortars that were left in a gasoline station along P. Acharon Boulevard here.

Inspector Oliver Pauya, chief of the city police’s explosive and ordnance disposal team, told reporters that two unidentified persons left the bombs, which were placed inside a plastic bag, beside a pump area of the Petron gasoline station.

A pump boy saw the bag and reported it to the security guard. After discovering that inside the bag were bombs with mobile phones as triggering device, the guard picked it up and placed it away from the gas station.

Responding bomb experts later defused the bombs.

William Estregan, area sales executive of Petron, said the bombing attempt could be the handiwork of an extortion gang.