Cops foil bombing attempt at height of BSKE2018 campaign

COTABATO CITY – The campaign activities in one of the villages here was briefly disrupted by a suspected improvised explosive device Wednesday night.
For about an hour, police cordoned off an alley in Barangay Bagua 3 after a resident reported what looked like an improvised bomb.
The IED was found at past 6:30 p.m. and was deactivated by police bomb experts more than an hour later.
The suspected bomb, fashioned from 81 mm mortar was allegedly left by two men who hurriedly left to unknown direction, according to witnesses.
After several tries, the IED was deactivated.

A bomb expert said accompanying the IED was particles of suspected shabu that were blown out due to deactivation process.Aspirants of village elections believed the attempt was perpetrated by people who do not want a peaceful election in Barangay Bagua, one of the densely populated village in the city. Intense rivalry has been observed in the village, according to Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, city police director.
Reelectionist village Bimbo Diolonen of Barangay 3 it was the first time a bombing attempt occurred in the village.

Election fever is really intense here, he said. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)