Maguindanao blast a detonated IED, police say

IN MEMORIAM Catholic priest Fr. Robert Reyes blesses the ground where some of the 57 massacre victims were found on Nov. 23, 2009, at Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province. JEOFFREY MAITEM/INQUIRER MINDANAO

MANILA, Philippines—Authorities said that the explosion reported earlier at the vicinity of Phoenix Gas station in Poblacion Ampatuan, Maguindanao, was not a separate incident, but was actually the disruption procedure for one of the two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered on the road leading to the Maguindanao massacre memorial site.

“PA [Philippine Army] corrected the report of MagPPO [Maguindanao Provincial Police Office] was a disruption procedure for the 81mm IED,” Director Felicisimo Khu Jr., chief of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao said in a text message to reporters

Khu said that there are only two IED’s found– one 105 millimeter and one 81 millimeter–contrary to earlier reports that there were five.

Meanwhile, he also said that the alleged IED found in a public market in Buluan, Maguindanao turned to be a fragmentation grenade.

No casualties or damage to properties were reported, Khu said.

“Most likely motive is to disrupt the anniversary celebration of Maguindanao massacre,” he said.

Two years ago, 58 people, including one who remains missing, were killed by heavily armed men. Thirty-eight of them were members of the media while others were relatives of then Buluan town vice mayor now Maguindanao governor Esmael Mangudadatu.

To date, only 95 of the 196 accused have been captured including primary suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr., and son Andal Ampatuan Jr..

First posted 7:48 am | Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011