ILOILO CITY — A total of 125 explosives and ammunitions were detonated at the headquarters of the 602nd Mobile Force Company in Guadalupe village, Janiuay, Iloilo province on Saturday morning.
Some 37 of these explosives were rifle grenades that were surrendered through the “May Kwarta sa Granada” or G1 Project (PHP1,000 per grenade) conceptualized by the Iloilo City Advisory Council, said Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas).
“This is one of their best practices. Somehow, we are helping people to be safe in their areas by getting rid of unnecessary things in their possession, like grenades,” he said. “These are very dangerous if they do not know how to handle these grenades.”
Launched last January 16, the program aims to entice the community to turn over grenades and other unexploded ordnances that have been in their possession.
The owners of the surrendered grenades are entitled to PHP1,000.
Bomb squads of the Explosive Ordnance and Disposal Unit of the Iloilo City Police Office and PRO-6 led the disposal of the explosives here.
Nelson Uygongco, chairman of the Iloilo City Advisory Council, was also present.
Aside from the surrendered rifle grenades, they also disposed of other explosives and ammunitions that were previously recovered from different areas in Iloilo City.
Bulalacao said the project could help solve crime because in their encounters with illegal drug suspects, they saw that the latter were using grenades.
“I do not know where they get these grenades but possessing these grenades would mean serious threat on the safety of the community,” he said.
He added that the disposal of explosives and ammunitions is also a preemptive measure in response to the incidents in other regions where there were reported bomb explosions, such as in Sultan Kudarat a few days ago.
Bulalacao further urged people, who have explosives in their possession, to surrender them through their local chief executives, village officials, and municipal police office.
“If ever it will be recovered in their possessions, definitely they will be in violation of Republic Act No. 9156 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) and depending on the decision of the fiscal and the court, in possession of explosives has no bail,” he said. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
