New site for bomb disposal

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has found a more ideal place in Toledo City to dispose the 25 vintage bombs recently unearthed at the South Road Properties.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau recommended the yard of Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC), formerly Atlas Mining Corp., which has open spaces far from residential houses and other obstructions.

Yesterday, Cebu City officials, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Experts and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) inspected the site and chose the lower portion of Biga Pit, which used to be a mining site but is now used by Carmen Copper Corp. as disposal site for their mine dumps or tailings.

Josue Bordon, CCC Assistant Vice President for Administration and Mine Management, said the detonation of bombs in the identified area will not affect their operation.

The area is also more than two kilometers from residential houses and it has natural barriers.

CCC offered the free use of the area, the equipment and materials to be used to detonate the bombs. CCC will provide boosters to be used in place of C4 explosives, safety fuse, explosive train and detonators, among others.

Bordon said this is their way to help the Local Government Unit in need of their assistance. He said they can charge the cost of blasting supplies from their Social Development and Management Program fund.

EOD experts will test today the explosives that will be used to detonate the bomb to determine if it can penetrate a plate.

EOD Commanding Officer for the Visayas Carlito Lachica said they need to test the explosives first because they are not used to using boosters when detonating bombs.

He said they have only tried C4 explosives which are only used by the army.

Lachica said that the area is safe and secure enough and they only have to dig three six feet deep holes.

The City Government will provide the manpower to dig the holes.

Philip Zafra, Chief of Staff of Mayor Michael Rama, said they will prepare everything today and hopefully be ready by Saturday.

If the testing goes well, they can transport the bombs and detonate the same tomorrow.

All parties agreed to do the disposal early in the morning. CCC will take charge of informing the surrounding barangays so they will not be shocked when they heard a blasting noise early in the morning.

Biga Pit where the bombs are planned to be detonated is surrounded by four barangays – Biga, Luayan, Gen. Climaco and Bagakay.

The bombs will be transported using four ordinary trucks to be provided by Dakay Construction, the contractor of the white-sand beach project of Filinvest in the former Kawit Island in SRP where the bombs were accidentally unearthed last Monday.

Lachica said that it is okay to use ordinary trucks as long as they will put at least three inches layer of sand to protect the bombs from shock while on transport.

The bombs were supposed to be detonated in Biasong, Balamban but the city had reservations because the area is not accessible by vehicle. If they will choose Balamban, the bombs will have to be manually transported. Carriers must walk at least two kilometers to get to the area. — / JPM (FREEMAN)