Bomb explodes near police camping site

NAGA CITY—A bomb went off in the town proper of Batuan, Masbate, on Thursday, according to police on Saturday.

Batuan, located on Ticao, one of the three main islands that compose Masbate province, is about an hour’s boat ride from Masbate City, the provincial capital.

Senior Supt. Heriberto Olitoquit, Masbate police chief, said the blast was heard by residents at about 11:50 p.m.

Olitoquit said the explosion, which took place just 100 meters from where policemen were camping, created a 60-cm wide and 30-cm deep crater. A 200-meter long electrical wire was recovered in the area, along with other explosive fragments, he said.

The bombing came just 15 days after regional police operatives recovered large quantities of explosive materials in Barangay Docol in Baleno, a neighboring town of Masbate City.

Seven blasting caps, two bundles of electrical wires, 14 pieces of suspected ammonium nitrate granules, 491 pieces of emulsion explosives and 2 kilograms of ammonium nitrate were recovered in Docol.

The explosive items were turned over to Special Task Force Masbate team, Olitoquit said.