Police, military foil bomb attempt before start of BARMM elections in Basilan

LAMITAN CITY, Basilan – Police and military personnel foiled a bombing attempt here after recovering an improvised explosive device (IED) early Monday, several hours before the opening of the polling precincts for the historic Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), the police said.

The IED was discovered around 1:15 a.m. during an intelligence-driven operation in Barangay Balobo, this city, conducted by the Lamitan City Police Station (LCPS) and other police units, along with the Army’s 112th Division Reconnaissance Company.

The police said the Provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit personnel safely neutralized the device through controlled detonation at about 3:30 a.m.

The police said the IED consisted of an electronic blasting cap, about one bar of Trinitrotoluene (TNT), cellular phone keypad, nine-volt battery terminal, three-inch concrete nails, a plastic receptacle and several wires.

“The IED was discharged through a controlled detonation following its discovery,” the LCPS said in its report Monday.

LCPS investigators documented the site and submitted the recovered evidence to the police forensic unit for chemical analysis.

The LCPS is handling the investigation, with authorities expected to issue further updates as the probe progresses.

The Commission on Elections said that 248,244 registered voters are set to cast their ballots in the province.

This city has the biggest voter population among areas covered by the parliamentary election, with 56,042 registered voters.

Meanwhile, Basilan Bishop Leo Dalmao said the province’s hard-won peace should pave the way for a peaceful, orderly and honest election.

Dalmao said Basilan’s experience of relative peace in recent years offers the province an opportunity to show the Bangsamoro region what sustained peace can achieve.

“We pray that the peaceful gains we have made in the past years will also bear fruit in an orderly, peaceful and honest election,” he said in an interview with reporters.

Basilan has long been associated with armed conflict and violence, but the bishop said the province should build on the progress it has achieved in recent years.

Dalmao expressed hope that the election would produce “better and good leaders” for Basilan and the Bangsamoro region.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman, for his part, appealed for a peaceful and credible BPE, urging political parties to play fair and allow voters to cast their ballots freely. (