The police chief of Ubay said that the suspected bomb-making components recovered by authorities in the town on Monday morning were discarded “old” ammunition and were not intended to be crafted into an improvised explosive device.
According Chief Insp. Jacinto Mandal, Ubay’s new police station commander, there was no need for panic as the items were not bomb paraphernalia.
The items which were recovered by police near an abandoned house in Barangay Poblacion, Ubay, included assorted bullets, ammunition for an M203 grenade launcher, a handheld radio, an old cellular phone, batteries and a CDI motor, said Bohol Provincial Police Office director Sr. Supt. Angeles Geñorga.
However, Mandal said that the items were likely discarded items from a former government agent, noting that these were old as some of the bullets already had rust on them.
The items which were initially spotted inside a plastic cellophane by children were taken by the police and were brought to Mandal’s office.
“Pag-analyze namo diri, initial pa, posibling nag-trabaho sa government ang tag-iya ato unya nahipusan sa iyang kauban sa pamilya sa pagpanglimpyo unya naapil og labay sa basura,” Mandal said.
Meanwhile, further investigations continued as authorities have yet to identify who owned the items and verify their purpose, said Geñorga.
The Philippine Army’s 47th Infantry Battalion was also deployed when the initially suspected bomb-making components were found.
Lieutenant Col. Joel Malig Jr., commander of the 47th Infantry Battalion, clarified that there was no bomb threat. (with a report from A. Doydora)