Explosion sends jitters to Baguio folks

BAGUIO CITY — An explosion on top of a pay telephone booth in Barangay New Lucban here on Sunday morning sent jitters to Baguio City folks even as police immediately ruled out terrorism behind the incident.

Senior Inspector Elmer Ragay, chief of the BCPO Intelligence and Investigation Division, said no one was hurt and the explosion caused only minor damages at the site.

Police also said that the area is relatively peaceful.

Ragay added that those behind the attack had no intention to harm but only to cause panic among residents.

Investigators said the blast was caused by an improvised explosive device that can injure persons who come in contact with it.

Senior Inspector Lorenzo Sabog, team leader of the BCPO Scene

of the Crime (SOCO) team, however, told reporters that the device can only cause minor damage and could not kill a person.

Police, however, are digging deeper into the incident trying to establish the motive of the perpetrators.

Two months ago, a waitress was injured when a homemade explosion ripped through a karaoke bar in Barangay P. Burgos here.

Superintendent Francisco Manalo, BCPO chief, also brushed off reports that the earlier explosion was terrorist-related.