Bomb hidden inside papaya fruit discovered at Iligan bakeshop

(THIS STORY IS DISPATCHED TODAY AND WILL APPEAR IN
MINDANEWS TOMORROW)

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / December 19) - A bomb kept inside a papayafruit was left under a table at Delecta Bakeshop today by twosuspected teenagers who had a snacks past 4:00 pm but suspiciousemployees alerted police.

"The two teenagers immediately went out but we noticed that they lefta sack below the table," a worker of Delecta told MindaNews oncondition of anonymity.

"The teenagers were texting and were conversing but just suddenly wentout. Because we were so suspicious of the sack, we immediatelyinformed a policeman who stood nearby," she narrated while tensely hugging a broom.

The head of the K9 Unit of the city said that "an improvised explosivedevise was kept inside a papaya which was put inside a sack and a netbag."

"The device used an 81mm mortar with attached clock, and only in asplit of second, it could have exploded with similar impact as that ofJerry's Shopping center," Garcia said.

The IED was detonated by the city bomb squad around 4:30 pm.

Suspects remained at-large.

Delecta is situated along Aguinaldo street of the city and ispopulated with numerous vegetable and fish vendors within itsvicinity.

It is just in front of Jerry's shopping center, which was bombedWednesday 1:55 pm. that resulted to the death of two of its baggagekeepers.

To pacify the crowd around Delecta, a police community officer, SPO4Teodoro Llanes used a mega phone to inform the public that "if anyonefinds any suspicious looking persons or objects, the same could bereported to police or authorities using mobile hotline number0921-299-7161. "

Venerando O. Bordeos, city planning development officer, who was alsoat the site talked to barangay tanud to help business establishmentstrengthen their security capability."

Commercial stores' workers should also be trained to identifypossible explosive devices," Bordeos said.

As the case developed, the police bomb squad unit discovered a O2Nhand-held radio with its antenna removed, under an ornamental plantat PLDT / Maratel main office. It is located in front of Unicitycenter whose baggage area was also bombed around 1:35 pm Wednesday.

"Luckily, that hand held radio is not an explosive device but could beused as an explosive devise," said Rolando Bughaw, security guard ofPLDT / Maratel.

"It caused panic to all people nearby though," he added.

Iligan City Vice Mayor, Henry Dy, who was monitoring the incidentalong Aguinaldo Street told MindaNews that "non-security workers ofcommercial areas provided with metal detector-devise should also betrained by police on its usage".

Dy also disclosed that the City Council has already appropriated acalamity fund of P2.3 million that will be used as contingency fundand for operational purposes.

"That budget also includes medical assistance for all victims of thetwin bombings Wednesday who are still confined in hospitals of thecity," he added.

Dy also said that another P2.7 million was also being approved by theCity Council as a fund that can be utilized if another disasterhappened. (Violeta M. Gloria / MindaNews)