A sack containing up to 25 kilos of ammonium nitrate and several explosives components was recovered by the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) along Bgy. Malagamot, Panacan at 5 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
“Initial investigations showed that the explosives components were intended for use in quarry and mining operations although it can also be used in crafting bombs,” DCPO director Col. Rene Aspera said during a press briefing at the DCPO Friday morning.
Aspera said included among the items they recovered inside the sack include 97 pieces non-electrical blasting caps, 25.2 kilos of ANFO or ammonium nitrate fuel, 89 pieces of Suprdyne Dynamite and 95 pieces of fuse lighter.
Both the DCPO and Task Force D
avao received the information from 911, which got a call from a concerned citizen about several suspicious items scattered along the road and being played on by children.Major Johngie N. Tizon said an IED reinforced by shrapnels like nails can kill and the extent of damage it can create depends on the size of the IED. He
brought out a sample containing 5 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and said “kaya nitong baliktarin ang isang 6x6 na army truck at kayang was akin ang isang smaller vehicle like a Humvee.”
“Ammonium nitrate weighing 25.2 kilos (like the one recovered by the DCPO and TF Davao Thursday) can demolish even a two-storey building,” he said.
Aspera said the person responsible for the sack carrying explosive components may have panicked upon sensing that there was a checkpoint in Ylang due to the heavy traffic along the Panacan-Sasa junction so he decided to turn to Malagamot instead. However, he added, “meron ding traffic sa Malagamot since there was a checkpoint also kaya siguro iniwan na lang ang sako sa daanan.”
Tizon said one reason for their initial theory that the explosives components were intended for quarry and mining and not for terrorist activities is the inclusion of a non-electrical blasting cap.
“Yung IED na ginagamit may electrical and dos not use a lighter pero ito sinisindihan pa,” he said.
