ZAMBOANGA CITY - An improvised bomb exploded in front of the house of a government engineer while another was recovered at the residence of another engineer in Basilan province, the police reported Friday.
The incident occurred a day after suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in an ambush two employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DPWH-ARMM) in Lamitan City, Basilan.
Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, disclosed the explosion happened at around 9:07 p.m. Thursday at the perimeter fence of Engineer Soler Undug’s residence in Purok Yakal, Barangay San Rafael, Isabela City.
Undug is the Basilan provincial engineer of the DPWH-ARMM.
No one was either killed or injured in the explosion that caused minor damage on the perimeter fence of Undug’s residence.
Galvez said the Explosive Ordnance Demolition (EOD) personnel recovered from the blast site the following: parts of battery pack of cellular phone; base of possible pipe bomb; and, shattered parts of cellular phone screen.
Galvez said the other improvised bomb was recovered at around 8:45 p.m. Thursday at the entrance gate of Engineer Bong Lasatan’s residence in Catleya Drive, Barangay Aguada, Isabela City.
Lasatan is the assistant provincial engineer of Basilan province.
Galvez said the improvised bomb was recovered after the Isabela City police received report about the presence of an unattended baggage at the entrance gate of Lasatan compound.
She said the EOD team of the Regional Public Safety Battalion-9 rendered safe procedure to detonate the improvised bomb.
She said the recovered bomb components included the following: a cellular phone; detonating cord; improvised electric blasting cap; wire; and, possible pipe bomb.
Police authorities in Basilan believed the Abu Sayyaf bandits were behind the bombing at the residence of Undog and the bombing attempt at the residence of Lasatan since it occurred a day after the bandits ambushed a truck owned by the DPWH-ARMM in Lamitan City.
Two workers of the DPWH-ARMM were killed while two others were wounded when the Abu Sayyaf banidts ambushed the truck on Thursday in Barangay Baas, Lamitan City
Supt. Christopher Panapan, officer-in-charge of the Lamitan City Police Station, said the possible motive of the ambush was extortion.
Undug revealed the Abu Sayyaf bandits have threatened to harm the DPWH-ARMM workers if and when they will not give in to their demands.
The DPWH-ARMM is undertaking a road concreting project in Basilan province. (PNA)
