EOD personnel in NegOcc safely detonate recovered explosives

Personnel from the Explosives and Ordnance Battalion (EOD) under operational control of the 303rd Infantry Brigade detonate five explosives found in Barangay Busay,  Bago City, Negros Occidental on Monday, May 4, 2020. | contributed photo

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental—The Explosives and Ordnance Battalion (EOD) under operational control of the 303rd Infantry Brigade successfully detonated five explosives recovered in Barangay Busay,  Bago City, Negros Occidental on Monday, May 4, 2020.

The explosives were found after a local resident from Purok Malipayon of the same barangay (village) reported to police a fragmentation hand grenade he accidentally saw in a dried up rice field on May 2, 2020. 

Officers from the Bago City Police Office immediately proceeded to the area and recovered a fragmentation hand grenade and four other explosives—a grenade rifle, a projectile grenade, and two fuses. 

According to Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander in a text message to CDN Digital, the fuses belonged to a vintage bomb.

Pasaporte said it is not yet known who owned the explosives.

Police Major John Joel Batusbatusan, Officer-In-Charge of the Bago City Police Station, requested the 303rd Infantry Brigade to properly dispose of the said explosives.

Personnel from the 1st Platoon, 2nd Company, Explosives and Ordinance Disposal Battalion, Army Support Command, Philippine Army under the operational control of 303rd Infantry Brigade facilitated the proper disposals of the said explosives. 

Pasaporte urged  civilians to report immediately to authorities if they find similar items.

 “We appreciate the attentiveness of the populace in the said barangay in calling the attention of proper authorities to disposed the said explosives. A little mishandling of these explosives can cause serious harm and injuries and even loss of lives of innocent civilians in the area,” Pasaporte said. /bmjo