Explosives, bomb components seized in former Marawi mayor’s other house

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police on Wednesday raided another house owned by former Marawi City mayor Fahad Salic, recently jailed for allegedly being a Maute supporter.

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, the spokesperson of the Northern Mindanao Police Office, said law enforcers recovered explosives and suspected bomb components – along with various types of ammunition and other items – from Salic’s house in Purok 5, in Barangay Consuelo in Magsaysay town, Misamis Oriental.

Two barangay officials and the house’s caretaker witnessed the conduct of the search, which was backed by a court warrant, he said.

Chief Insp. Esperidion Biado, the head of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Public Safety Company, said the seized items included an MK2 fragmentation grenade, two rifle grenades with canisters, a 40-millimeter cartridge, 30 rounds of 5.56 live ammunition, six metal tubes believed to be non-electric blasting cap, a customized electronic switch, a pilot valve attached to a jack connector, a 9-volt battery, and two packs of undetermined gray powder from the former Marawi mayor’s house.

Biado said some of the recovered items were actually bomb components.

He said authorities conducted the raid after they  got a tip that Salic could have hidden bombs and firearms inside the house.

Biado said they were monitoring the former mayor’s residence, which also included two beach cottages along the village’s coastal area, following reports that armed men on board large vehicles had been seen going in and out of it during the past few days.

Salic was arrested on June 7 on suspicion that he was involved in the siege of Marawi.

In a follow up operation the next day, authorities found packets of suspected shabu (crystal meth) and unlicensed guns from Salic’s house in Barangay Carmen here.

A case for violation of the anti-drugs and the firearms laws had since been filed against him.

Gonda said fresh charges would be brought against Salic, following the raid on his house in Magsaysay town on Wednseday.  GAL