Vintage bombs recovered from house of ex-village chief

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) recovered two vintage bombs kept inside the house of former Tabla, Liloan barangay captain Juan Gungob yesterday morning.

One of the two vintage bombs was already inactive, said PO3 Reynaldo Solante, investigator of the PIB.

The inactive bomb was turned over to the local government of Liloan and will be kept at the town’s municipal museum.

The other bomb, which is still active, was taken by the PIB to their office and will be turned over to the Central Command for proper disposition. Solante told The FREEMAN that Gungob kept both bombs at the cellar of his house, covered with metal sheets. Gungob allegedly kept the bombs saying both items are now expensive.

“Dili lagi kuno niya pahilabtan kay mahal lagi kuno ni,” he said.

Because of curiosity Ali Cantabo, a barangay tanod and grandson of Gungob, sought the help of their barangay captain Henry Tanjay, a former member of the Philippine Navy who has a background in identifying bombs.

When Tanjay found out that Gungob was keeping bombs, he called the PIB office.

“Wala na ma’y mahimo ang tiguwang ug among kuhaon kay medyo masakiton na man unya delikado pud nang bomba,” Solante said.

Both bombs weigh 250 to 300 pounds each and are 28 inches tall. Both are allegedly remnants of the World War II. Solante explained that high explosives like bombs might explode if triggered by heat and friction. Its explosion would reach about 300-meter radius. (FREEMAN)