Bomb explodes in San Remigio beach resort

CEBU, Philippines - A personal grudge is now one of the suspected motives behind the bombing incident in a beach resort in Barangay Bancasan, San Remigio town, last Sunday morning.

A Korean guest heard a loud explosion in an empty area of the resort around 3 a.m. but the incident was reported to the police only around 9 a.m. that same day. Responding policemen discovered a second bomb that did not go off.

The unexploded bomb consisted of a one-gallon container filled with an explosive powder and rigged with a mosquito coil. 

Police also said the explosive powder is the same kind used in blast fishing. It was also the same substance used in the bomb that exploded earlier.

San Remigio police chief Senior Insp. Jose Rovic Villarin said the unexploded bomb was placed outside of one of the cottages.

Villarin said he was not sure if the coil he found was intended to ignite the powder as it burned down.

“The coil was no longer burning but that bomb would have exploded because you only need to throw it and it will explode,” he said in Cebuano.

The police suspect that the bombing had something to do with the land dispute between the previous owner of the lot and the owner of the resort.

It was allegedly only meant to scare the owners and not to harm anyone as it was placed near cottages not being occupied.

Villarin told The FREEMAN the owner of the resort reportedly failed to pay the balance of the amount for the lot.

Both parties eventually filed charges against each other in court and the case is still pending.

Information also reached the police that the owner of the resort and his employees were also not in good terms over the meager pay.

Despite the allegations of the employees the police still have to pursue their investigation.

“We will not take sides because we are just doing our job,” he said.

Also included in the investigation was the resort’s night watcher, Ramil Lecciones because he was in the resort at the time. -/BRP (FREEMAN)