Raw bomb components found in Naga City

NAGA CITY, Camarines Sur—A probe has been launched by police after a tip from a resident led to the discovery of components for the making of an improvised explosive device (IED) was found near a house of a suspect believed to be connected with the New People’s Army (NPA) on Wednesday or three days before the culmination of the Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia this coming Saturday.

Senior Supt. Jonathan Panganiban, police city director, said the police intelligence group got the information from a neighbor of the suspected owner of the IED raw materials who revealed he was making a bomb in a drinking session last week.

Panganiban identified the alleged owner of the bomb components found in a grassy area near his house as Dominador Alcantara, 57, of Zone 2 Manggapo-gapo St., Barangay (village) Concepcion Pequeña, Naga City.

He said police found three bottles of Solo Ginebra filled with gasoline, assorted nails and broken pieces of glass and two pieces of live ammunition for caliber .45 pistol on the grassy area.

Police operatives also found a “computerized letter containing subversive details addressed to Ka Domeng and Ka Josephine coming from Ka Benny,” Panganiban said.

He said a team of Scene of Crime Operatives (SOCO) that searched the house of Alcantara also recovered a .22 caliber revolver loaded with six live bullets, one locally-made gun and a plastic bag filled with fertilizer.

He said Alcantara is now under the custody of the police while continuing investigation is being undertaken.