'Peace spoilers' behind foiled bomb plot in Kidapawan

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Investigators have tagged “peace spoilers” as possibly behind the foiled attempt to bomb on Sunday a spot close to a police headquarters in Kidapawan City.

The improvised explosive device supposed to be used in the attack, fashioned from two live 60 mm. mortar rounds, was safely defused by responding Army bomb disposal operatives before it could explode.

The IED was found by passersby at the rear of the headquarters of the Kidapawan City police.

Supt. Joseph Semillano, chief of the Kidapawan City police, said there are talks circulating that “peace spoilers” were behind the foiled bombing attempt.

Kidapawan City has been peaceful in recent months, but North Cotabato towns in its immediate surroundings saw bloody encounters between communist rebels and military forces late last year, which displaced close to 3,000 villagers.

The IED was detonated using a calibrated liquid explosive to destroy its blasting mechanism attached to a mobile phone.

Samillano said probers are also looking into the possibility that the bombing attempt was meant to disrupt a three-day local sports meet at the Kidapawan City Pilot Elementary School, just a block away from the city’s police headquarters.

“It was fortunate that the IED was found before it could go off,” Semillano said.

Semillano said they are still trying to determine if the attempt could be related to two supposed bombings in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao.

Policemen and soldiers safely deactivated two powerful IEDs found in different spots in Shariff Aguak last week. One of the improvised bombs, fashioned from two 81 mm. mortar projectiles, was left by unidentified men near the entrance to the fenced local government compound of Shariff Aguak.

The town was also pounded with three shoulder-fire 40 mm. grenades fired from a distance by gunmen last Saturday, causing widespread panic among local residents. (Justine Palomar, Norhaidie Sangkad)