Kawit bombs to be exploded in Toledo’s Biga Pit — city exec

An old mining pit in Toledo City in midwest Cebu may be the “perfect” place to detonate and bury 25 war vintage bombs recovered from Kawit Island in Cebu City.

Permission to use the Biga Pit in the compound of the Carmen Copper Corp. was secured and a tentative schedule was set for Saturday.

Supt. Arnel Banzon, deputy for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said they only have to dig holes in part of the Biga pit to safely dispose of the bombs.

Josue Bordon, CCC assistant vice president for Administration on Mine Management, said his company was ready to shoulder the cost of the bomb disposal as part of the firm’s corporate social responsibility.

“We are willing to help. No problem with the cost. My only concern is how to transport the bombs and the safety of people in the area (near Biga Pit). But we will try to guard the location during the blasting because we do not know how large the blast will be,” he said.

Bordon said the Biga Pit was ideal because it was “isolated” and has “stable” ground. It is located about two kilometers from the nearest residential area.

C4 explosives are ideal to detonate the bombs but the military’s supply is only designated for operations of the Armed Forces Central command, according to a source in the Centcom’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD revealed.

The source said the military is looking into the use of an explosives booster as an alternative.

In Taguig, Metro Manila, a war vintage bomb accidentally exploded last Wednesday, killing two police officers and two civilians in a welding shop in a crowded community, where the bombs were brought.

The policemen tried to disarm the bomb there, but it went off amid questions about why the bombs were brought there and whether the activity was authorized.

Site Inspection

Philip Zafra, the chief of staff of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, met EOD personnel and Banzon yesterday to discuss the bombdisposal plan.

Zafra said the mining pit in Toledo City was suggested by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the environment department.

An earlier proposal identified barangay Biasong in Balamban town but this turned out not feasible because of its terrain, said Zafra.

From the mayor’s office, Zafra’s group went to the CCC compound in Toledo city.

EOD personnel said 25 World War II bombs were found, not just 23 as reported earlier. Each bomb weighs about 150 pounds.

Bordon said the CCC is tapping Orica Phils. Inc., which supplies them explosives for mining operations.

He escorted the group to the Biga Pit located about 10 kilometers from the CCC main office.

The head of the EOD team said they would return to the area today to supervise the digging of three holes of about six feet deep.

He said he wanted the holes near a slope, to act as a a natural barrier for bomb fragments.

“We will determine what other options are available after the test and in case the booster does not work,” said the EOD team leader.

He said the explosive should be able to penetrate the metal plates of the vintage bomb which is about ¼ of their diameter.

An Orica representative said the booster they supply CCC is commonly used by CCC as primer in their industrial explosions.

The booster would be attached to a safety fuse that contains ammonium nitrate.

Bomb Disposal

Zafra said that Mayor Michael Rama, who is abroad, instructed him by phone to dispose of the war vintage bombs at the soonest possible time.

He said the city government could use part of its P500,000 intelligence funds for this.

He also said the city would seek private sector help for the technology to detect the presence of more vintage bombs that remain buried in Kawit Island.