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Bomb found beside GenSan church Posted 02:21am (Mla time) Mar 21, 2005 Inquirer News Service Editor's Note: Published on page A17 of the Mar. 21, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer GENERAL SANTOS CITY, South Cotabato, Philippines -- Members of the police's bomb disposal unit recovered an improvised bomb buried on the ground just beside a chapel of a Catholic Church in Lagao Village here yesterday dawn. A volunteer resident who helps guard the church was the one who discovered the bomb. He immediately reported it to the police's explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) unit. Members of the bomb squad recovered an explosive buried less than one foot under the ground just a few meters away from the adoration chapel of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish. The explosive had no timing device. Earlier, Chief Superintendent Antonio Billones, police chief for Central Mindanao, ordered his field officers to tighten security particularly in churches in time for the celebration of Holy Week. Churches have been identified as among the targets of terror groups Jemaah Islamiyah and its local ally, the Abu Sayyaf Group. Police and military operatives were deployed to secure churches especially during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. This, aside from the regular conduct of checkpoints in strategic entry and exit points, as well as foot patrols being carried out by uniformed police and military personnel in the interior part of the city. Billones, quoting Superintendent Willie Dangane, city police director, denied it was a bomb. "Sabi ni Col. Dangane sako lang daw na may lamang mga damit. Hindi naman daw bomba," Billones said. But a member of the police's bomb squad, who asked not to be named, confirmed to reporters that what they recovered was indeed an explosive. Satisfaction On Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed satisfaction over the security preparations laid out by the military and police against the reported plan of the Abu Sayyaf to sow terror during the Holy Week. "I think the security agencies are doing a very very good job in taking care of our security, I don't want to micro-manage when the agencies are doing a very good job," Ms Arroyo said during an interaction with the media in Lamitan town, Basilan province. On Thursday, government state prosecutor Peter Medalle issued an alert about the alleged deployment of Abu Sayyaf "sleepers" against churches in urban centers on Holy Week. Medalle said fresh graduates of Abu Sayyaf have been trained to conduct bombings and demolitions and were reportedly deployed to bomb places of worship. But the President confidently said that the military and the police knew their job. "They know what to do," she said. Strategic alliance She said as for the people of Basilan, they have been benefiting from the development of the area, which was brought about by "our strategic alliance with the US." "I know the people of Basilan, I could imagine that they feel privileged," she said with clear reference to the conduct of the military exercises and US-led humanitarian missions here. The government has been crediting the US for the success of its anti-Abu Sayyaf drive especially in Punoh Mahadji. The area, which used to be the bandit group's camp, has been converted to a rubber plantation last year. In Davao City, Ms Arroyo's anti-terror czar, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he has ordered a heightened security alert in ports, airport and bus terminal here to ward off possible terror attacks. Duterte said the tightened security is in response to continuing terror threat against the city. In 2003, at least 48 people were killed while more than 200 others were wounded when bombs went off at the Davao Airport and the Sasa Wharf. The explosion was blamed on the Jemaah Islamiyah although the Abu Sayyaf had earlier owned it up. On Feb. 14, another bomb went off at the Ecoland Terminal here. Duterte warned the public to prepare for two hours of inspection time at the airport and ports to prevent terrorists from carrying out their plans. He also dared "libertarians" and human rights advocates to present their own solution to the terrorist threats now facing the country. "I challenge them to assume the post of the police chief, let's see what they can do," he told reporters. To soften the inconvenience of the searches in airports and wharves, Duterte said a number of female police recruits would help in the frisking. Aquiles Zonio, Julie Alipala and Germelina Lacorte, PDI Mindanao Bureau [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! 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