Execs claim foiling bomb plot in Cotabato City

COTABATO CITY—Authorities on Tuesday said they foiled a bombing plot when Marines and policemen arrested three suspects and seized bomb-making materials.

Supt. Roberto Badian, city police chief, said seized from three suspects past noon yesterday were two rocket-propelled grenades, flashlights, batteries, a motorcycle loaded into a mini dump truck and electrical wiring.

Col. Dorotheo Jalandoni, head of the 7th Marine Battalion Landing Team, said soldiers manning a checkpoint became suspicious when the men on board the dump truck became restless as soldiers and policemen started inspecting the truck.

Badian said the Marines and policemen were suspicious after seeing a motorcycle without a license plate in the truck. The law enforcers found the bomb-making materials.

Jalandoni said the three suspects are being interrogated at the Marines checkpoint. He said authorities received intelligence reports about another bomb plot prior to the arrests.

Badian said the suspects “refused to talk, refused to answer questions, but one claimed he is from Iligan City.” Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao