Improvised bomb found in Basilan

ZAMBOANGA City, Philippines - Police and military officials on recovered an improvised bomb planted in a motorcycle showroom in Isabela City, Basilan province on Monday morning.

Superintendent Albert Larrubis, Isabela City police chief, said a vigilant civilian discovered the remote-triggered bomb planted at the building rented by Phil Motors Inc. along Veterans Avenue, Barangay Seaside at about 7:15 a.m.

He said that civilian immediately went to the authorities after spotting a suspicious-looking baggage placed beside the building.

Larrubis said the residents in the vicinity were immediately evacuated as police and military explosive ordnance and disposal units safely defused the bomb.

The bomb was fashioned with a cylindrical metal pipe containing trinitrotoluene (TNT), silicon control rectifier, a 9-volt battery, an improvised blasting cap and a cellphone, which was supposedly attached to the bomb as a remote triggering device.

The recovered components of the bomb have been brought to the police's crime laboratory for further investigation to determine which group owned the explosive device.

The police said that the group behind the bomb could have been involved in extortion activities and it could have been targeting Phil Motors Inc.