Group claims 10 more bombs planted in Metro

There’s more where they come from.

The so-called Indigenous People’s Federal State Army (IPFSA), which has admitted responsibility for the recent bomb scare that gripped Metro Manila and parts of Mindanao, said yesterday at least 10 more such "explosives" remain hidden and that more would be planted in various parts of Metro Manila.

This developed as President Arroyo vowed an immediate solution to the crisis, saying police are zeroing in on the perpetrators. She indicated politics was behind the bomb scare.

Calling the suspects "termites of society," the President said the people have had enough of the attempts to undermine national stability through bomb threats.

"Galit na ang taong bayan sa walang katapusang intriga at panggugulo ng mga taong ka-laban ng mamamayang Pilipino (The masses are already mad at the endless intrigue and trouble-making by enemies of the Filipino people)," Mrs. Arroyo said in her weekly radio program aired from Malacañang.

A man who identified himself as Adrev called up radio station dzRH to clarify that the dud bombs were "not a threat" and were meant to attract government attention.

The IPFSA said it wanted the republican government changed into a federal system that would allow separate bureaucracies for Muslims and Christians.

None of the eight bombs found so far — fashioned from grenades or mortar shells — was rigged to explode, but Adrev warned they would not hesitate to produce bombs that could hurt or kill if the government ignored their demands.

"If the government remains inept, we’ll go to full-blown revolution," he said.

The group has also planted eight duds in the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan and General Santos in Mindanao over the past three months.

Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) expressed belief that the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) could be behind the bomb scares.

The NBI issued the statement after it questioned a primary suspect and four other men believed to have links with the MILF.

"We are not sure if the MILF is involved, but the (primary) suspect has strong links with the MILF," NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco said.

Wycoco said the four other suspects were released for lack of evidence.

The NBI has said the explosives found in the packages supposedly planted by the IPFSA were not traced to the arsenal of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Wycoco told reporters that the serial numbers of the rifle grenades and 60 mm mortar shells used to make the bombs indicated they did not come from the military and could have been smuggled into the country.

Meanwhile, President law enforcers have uncovered clear leads on the perpetrators of the bomb scares, and arrests are expected any time now.

She called for a stop to the bomb threats and public intimidation.

Responding to phoned in questions, the President noted that the police were able to thwart several bombing attempts through improved intelligence gathering, leading to the timely recovery of the home-made bombs planted in various public places in Metro Manila.

She credited the people’s vigilance in helping the authorities prevent the bomb scares from getting out of hand.

Mrs. Arroyo urged the people to immediately report to the authorities any suspicious-looking individuals or packages abandoned in public places.

"It is also important that when strangers appear in your communities, report them to the authorities so that we can avoid these terrorists," she added.

The President surmised that the bomb scares were politically motivated.

The previously unheard-of IPFSA has admitted having planted the bombs, which police said were not meant to kill or maim people but merely to create fear and anxiety.

Mrs. Arroyo said she was not entirely against federalism, but pointed out that the political and economic situation in the country does not call for it yet.

"I am not against federalism, but perhaps, before we can even get to that point, there are a lot of reforms that we must do first. For example, we need to strengthen the political parties," the President said.

Meanwhile, the mysterious blue powder found in the improvised bombs was discovered to be a harmless substance akin to colored chalk.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory said analysis of the blue powder submitted by the Southern and Eastern Police Districts indicated that the chemical was not an explosive material.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina clarified, however, that they were still awaiting results of similar tests conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

At the same time, Espina said they were already winding up investigation on the bomb scare, adding that arrest of suspects is inevitable.

"We are in the process of fine-tuning the investigation. It is only a matter of time before we can properly identify those who are behind these (bomb scares)," Espina said. — Marichu Villanueva, Christina Mendez, Mike Frialde