What would you do if you see suspicious packages along the street or public places?
In a turn of event as far as bomb experts are concerned yesterday morning in Manila, two street sweepers took a package suspected to be an improvised explosive device (IED) they found in Intramuros area and brought it with their bare hands to the City Hall.
Director Oscar Albayalde, head of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), reminded the public never to touch any suspicious packages that they would see and instead call the police for proper action.
“That’s what is scary actually there because as a result of that, people in the City Hall panicked when the street sweepers brought the suspicious package there,” said Albayalde.
“That should have not been the case because supposedly, they must not touch it and call the police and let them clear the item. What the streetsweepers did is wrong,” he added.
The suspicious package turned out to have been used just to scare people as it was made appear that it would like an IED, according to Albayalde.
Senior Supt. Joel Napoleon Coronel, director of the Manila Police District, said the fake IED was found by the two street sweepers at around 6 a.m. at the premises of Universidad de Manila.
He said the two street sweepers then turned over it to the Civil Security Forceat the Cty Hall detachment of the MPD which in turn called for assistance from the Explosive and Ordnance Division.
“Upon rendering safe procedures and disruption they found out it was a bomb hoax or package which was designed to look like an IED. It poses no danger from the very start,” said Coronel.
Albayalde said they are conducting investigation if the fake bomb found yesterday is connected with the real IED that was planted near the US Embassy last week.
Coronel said part of the probe is the real motive of abandoning the fake bomb. (Aaron B. Recuenco)
