Petron's GenSan depot bombed

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Gunmen attacked early yesterday a petroleum depot belonging to oil refiner Petron Corp. in this southern fishing port, damaging a petroleum storage tank, police said.

The attack with a rocket-propelled grenade occurred at past midnight in Sitio Cabo, Barangay Bawing. The fuel failed to ignite, and no one was injured in the incident believed to be the work of Muslim rebels, according to Central Mindanao military spokesman Noel Detoyato.

He was referring to the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Detoyato said the storage tank was riddled with holes from shrapnel, but they were plugged with wood to prevent the spillage of bunker fuel which is used for industrial machinery.

"We do not have any suspects yet but we have stepped up security in all vital government installations in General Santos City and other populated areas nearby to prevent terrorism," Detoyato said.

He said special forces soldiers had been deployed around the Petron depot.

Superintendent Conrado Laza, city police director, said that according to initial investigation, the grenade was fired from the southern direction near the national highway and at a distance of 300 to 400 meters.

He said shrapnel recovered from the scene indicated that it was either an RPG or an M-203 rifle grenade that fired the explosive. SPO3 Nick Rojo, one of two policemen assigned to guard the depot, told reporters that they actually heard a loud explosion at an area about half a kilometer away from the installation Thursday afternoon.

He said they immediately responded but found nothing except for prints left by combat boots in the vicinity.

Laza refused to pinpoint any suspect but hinted it may have been perpetrated by MILF rebels. He said after the May 3 bombings in the city, police intercepted an alleged plot by Muslim rebels that they would blow up oil depots and vital installations.

The police have since deployed at least two policemen each to secure the oil depots in barangays Bula, Tambler and Bawing.

Yesterday's explosion was the sixth in this tuna-exporting city since May 3. At least three people have died while 70 others had been hurt in the incidents.