City police on full alert following discovery of bomb ingredient
City police has been placed on full alert following the discovery the other day of 600 grams of bronze powder, an ingredient for making a bomb, at the Iloilo port in Fort San Pedro.
Though there is no specific threat from any terrorist groups, City Mayor Jerry Treñas has directed Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Senior Supt. Norlito Bautista to put his men on alert and to intensify its intelligence monitoring.
Treñas directed Bautista to deploy police personnel on public places frequently visited by people such as markets, plazas and churches to deter any attempt at bombings just like in Southern Mindanao.
Security inspections in malls and seaports in Iloilo will also be strictly imposed.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 director Chief Supt. Geary Barias admitted that they have not gotten any intelligence information regarding the supposed transport of bomb ingredients as of late.
There is also no report of threats to sow terror in the city but they are closely monitoring Boracay Island which is considered a target of terrorism acts, he added.
The 600.10 grams of bronze powder was accidentally discovered by a five-year old boy who was playing inside the compound of the Philippine Ports Authority last Wednesday. The bronze powder was placed in six PVC pipes. Each PVC pipe is four inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
The PVC pipe filled with the bronze powder was left by still unidentified persons under a papaya tree which is only few meters away from the guard house and the dockyard.
It could not yet be ascertained if the person who left the bronze powder was a passenger of any of the three ships bound for Manila. One of the ships that docked in Iloilo pier came from Mindanao before it proceeded to Manila Wednesday.
The guard on duty saw the kid toying one PVC pipe and it immediately caught his attention. He seized the PVC pipe and asked the kid where he got it. The kid pointed to the guard the remaining five tubes placed under the papaya tree. The alert guard sought the help of the Community Assistance Police Center (formerly called as Task Force Water Front) on the presence of the six PVC pipes.
The police then brought the items to the Explosive and Ordnance Disposal Team (EODT) of the Philippine National Police for checking.
The PNP-EODT led by SPO4 Rafael Managuit then brought it to the Philippine Army's EODT in Camp Delgado. The army immediately recognized the substance as bronze powder, an ingredient in making explosives.
The police and the army then mixed the bronze powder with another chemical agent to make a bomb.
The mixture created an explosion when ignited by fire.
Managuit said the recovered bronze powder when mixed with the same proportion of another chemical agent to make a bomb can topple and ruin a car.
Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Barias also directed all police units in the region to strengthen security in major installations and physical infrastructures.
He had also directed close coordination with other intelligence agencies to monitor the movements of suspected terrorists.