Bombs found near Pasay bus terminal

Police officers prevented a possible explosion after they recovered improvised explosives hidden in a manhole near a bus terminal and a liquefied petroleum gas station in Pasay City Monday night.

Pasay City police chief Senior Superintendent Marietto Valerio said that around 10:52 p.m., three one-pound packs of trinitrotoluene (TNT) was found by Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel in a manhole near the Island Gas Co. along Apelo street in Malibay.

The SWAT team, led by Senior Inspector Lerpon Platon, also recovered another one-pound and two half-pound packs of TNT, both wrapped with detonating cords, and six pieces of commercial non-electric time fuse measuring five feet long and each one with a blasting cap.

Initial investigation showed that a resident, Florida Anquilo, 52, told police probers that she threw a can of food waste into the manhole Monday night.

The following day, she was sweeping the front of their house when she noticed that there were copper wires and cans in the manhole.

Anquilo immediately reported what she saw to barangay chairman Michael del Rosario, who called for police assistance.

Senior Police Officer 4 Christian Marquez, one of the responding policemen, said the bombs could have totally destroyed the bus terminal. He added that they are still conducting a follow-up investigation of the incident.

The police earlier said terrorists could have left the improvised explosives.