Davao del Sur placed on alert after bus bombings

Following the twin attack on two Weena buses that killed at least 10 passengers Friday, Davao del Sur governor has placed authorities in the province on heightened alert. Sun Star Davao reported Sunday that Davao del Sur governor Benjamin Bautista issued the order alongside instructions to the provincial police to probe the incident. It said Bautista also called for the activation of the crisis team to address the problem and help the victims, though nobody was reported injured in the blast in Cotabato City. This developed as Davao City remained on high alert amid imminent threats of terrorism, following the discovery of a car bomb last week. As this developed, traces of C-4 plastic explosives appear to bolster the theory that extortion was behind the bombing of buses in Cotabato City and Bansalan in Davao del Sur. Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, chief of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said the recovered pieces of evidence in Friday’s blast were “similar" to the ones used in the explosion in Matalam, North Cotabato. Initial police investigation had indicated the possibility that a C-4 substance could have been in Friday’s attacks against the buses. At least 10 passengers were killed and 12 others injured in the blast that hit a Weena bus last Friday in Bansalan. The incident prompted Weena management to suspend operations. Two bus terminal bombings struck Weena buses in the last two months, including one in Matalam, North Cotabato last week where 10 persons were injured. Last May 18, another blast hit Cotabato City where a boy was killed and more than 30 others were injured. Weena Bus manager Eddie Soledad said the series of attacks against the company had caused much trouble, including damage to properties and loss of lives. He declined to identify the group behind the attacks, though admitted that extortion was the reason behind the bombings. He refused to comment on reports that labor problems caused the incidents. The Weena Bus with plate number MVF-404 coming from Cotabato City and on its way to Davao City had a stopover at the Bansalan terminal shortly before 6 p.m. Friday. As the bus was on its way to Davao and was cruising along the national highway, a bomb suddenly exploded at the front portion of the bus. Central Mindanao regional police director Chief Supt. Felizardo Serapio ordered the deployment of police marshals in buses to prevent further attacks against buses operating in the region. Serapio said bus marshals will ensure the safety of WBC buses and similar public buses that are targets of current terror attacks. American soldiers also arrived in Bansalan Saturday to help investigators in the recent bomb blast. The US bomb experts, who have been training local forces in counter-terrorism, examined the scene after the explosion in Bansalan town late Friday. More checkpoints have been set up in the area. Meanwhile, Davao City remained on high alert amid imminent threats of terrorism. Davao City police head Sr. Supt. Jaime Morente said the discovery of a bomb inside a car in Surallah, South Cotabato last Wednesday fueled fears of a possible attack in the city. Morente said they have tightened security in schools and densely populated commercial areas to preempt any attempts to sow terror. Apart from the usual terror targets of ports, markets, and terminals, the Davao City Police Office is also intensifying its security measures in public transportations. “We are already in close coordination with the Task Force Davao to ensure that no terror attack would succeed in the city," Morente said. On the other hand, Task Force Davao chief Alan Luga said they have intensified checkpoints in all exit and entry points in the city. They have established close coordination with the intelligence community to further enhance the intelligence gathering. “Actually, there is already a list of vehicles that we are monitoring," Luga said. “We are always on alert whether there is a threat or not, Davao City, being the premiere financial hub in the region the city is always susceptible to threats of terrorism," he added. - GMANews.TV