Amianan Police Patrol
ITOGON, BENGUET – An active but dormant explosive was found at Poblacion, this town, by a local resident after reporting it to authorities five years following its initial discovery.
Personnel of the Itogon Municipal Police Station received a report during the early morning of February 3 from one Rolando Depayso of Poblacion, Itogon, regarding a bomb he had discovered sometime in the year of 2015.
Depayso expressed how he stumbled upon the explosive while digging for a septic in their compound during that time and accordingly decided to relocate the object in their backyard.
He then proceeded to conceal it with leaves and scraps to avoid any heat that could trigger the subject, instead of immediately reporting it to authorities.
Depayso finally reported it after five years due to his fear of
the bomb possibly exploding.
Without delay, the Itogon MPS closed off and isolated the
area to ensure the residents’ safety after informing the Explosive
Ordnance Disposal unit for appropriate action.
A retrieval operation was conducted by a team from EOD/K9, Technical Support Company and the RMFB15 led by PInsp. Domingo Sario.
The UXO (unexploded ordnance) was successfully recovered and secured by personnel within the hour after the initial operation.
The UXO was indeed active but dormant and was later on identified by the EOD as a projectile, around 155 millimeters, about 12 inches long and 6 inches in diameter, and a high explosive without a fuse.
This specific type of missile was described by the EOD as a projectile that is being utilized, mounted and shot by cannons.
Officer-in-charge Police Chief Inspector Rommel Sawatang said that Depayso’s motive of keeping the explosive might have been due to the instinctive thought of the bomb having an appraisal.
“I can’t speak for the person, but naturally he might have thought that maybe this bomb might be of great value,” Sawatang said.
This is one of the few reported cases in the province of Benguet, in regards to the discovery of historic military devices. One being in 2012, after locating 140 World War II bombs, some weighing up to a 1,000 pounds, and another in 2015 by workers in Sablan, Benguet, following their discovery of vintage bombs also used in WWII.
Furthermore, the projectile is also alleged to be a remnant
from the WWII.
The unexploded device has been turned over by the Itogon
MPS and is currently for proper disposition in Camp Major Bado Dangwa, La Trinidad.
REIGN PEACE KERYAO/ABN
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