Philippines: Police detonate suspicious package found near the US embassy

PHILIPPINES police have detonated a suspicious package found in a trash bin near the US embassy in Manila which they believe could be a homemade bomb.

However, damage was reported from the controlled detonation.

Senior Superintendent Joel Coronel said the police received a call before 7 a.m. local time from a street sweeper who found an old mobile phone with black and red electrical wires connected to a package.

“There is no danger, there is no cause for alarm,” Coronel told reporters after two explosions were heard. He said there were no explosives, such as gunpowder, in the package.

“We are trying to identify who left the package at the trash bin,” he added.

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According to the Associated Press, business at the embassy continued as normal, with dozens of people queuing outside for visa



applications.

Traffic in the area was reduced to a crawl after authorities closed a portion of a major boulevard where the suspicious contraption was found and traffic was diverted. The closed lane of the road has since reopened after police declared the area safe.

A Rappler report said, Chief Supt Oscar Albayalde, The Regional Director of the NCRPO Police confirmed the item found was an IED which was composed of a blasting cap, a detonator, a cellular phone, and a 9-volt battery.

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He added the package contained an 81 mm mortar, which he said is the same as the one found in September’s blast in Davos City

The website also reported Albayalde said witnesses saw a person riding a taxicab throwing the package near the US embassy around 2 am.

The police found no other bombs after a sweep around the area.