Terrorist plot foiled with seizure of explosives

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The military foiled a large-scale terror plot by communist rebels with the seizure of two truckloads of explosives in Surigao del Norte last Monday, officials said.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza said the military is now focusing on the possibility that communist New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas are selling explosives to other extremist groups.

Braganza did not discount the possibility that some of the explosives might have ended up in the hands of terror groups.

"This could be part of a destabilization plan that we are trying to evaluate it because of the presence of the huge amount and quantity of explosives," Braganza said.

"This (seizure) is a wake-up call and eye opener for us to be aware and conscious of the threat posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)," he added.

Government troops reportedly seized two truckloads of explosives and firearms when it overran a suspected NPA camp in Barangay Mahaba, Marihatag town, Surigao del Sur last Monday.

Reports reaching the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City described the explosives as "C-4 commercial type."

Experts said less than a kilo of C-4 explosive is powerful enough to kill several people. A half a kilogram of the explosive could potentially demolish a truck.

Apart from the explosives, troops also seized a sizeable number of high-powered firearms and ammunition.

Army Scout Rangers had seized four rounds of B-40 anti-tank rockets, thirty 30 homemade grenades, a Thompson submachine gun, handguns and spare parts for M-16 rifles.

Troops also seized a satellite phone, three rolls of magnetic wire, three rolls of detonating cords, three rolls of magnetic wire and 15 video CDs containing supposed NPA training instructions.

Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM) chief Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said parts of the explosives had been detonated since it was already rigged to explode inside a cave believed to be the insurgent’s manufacturing and storage site. — With Jaime Laude