- Explosive-carrying man who was nabbed in Davao City checkpoint now identified
- Authorities said the man claims to be carrying explosives on orders of an NPA commander
- He said he was instructed to deliver the explosives to a contact in Davao City
- Duterte stalwart skeptical, says it could be plot to discredit Rodrigo Duterte
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The explosives-toting man who was apprehended at a checkpoint in Davao City on Good Friday has been identified.
Task Force Davao Commander Colonel Cristobal Zaragoza identified the man as 22-year-old Kidapawan City resident Roy “Steve” Bulat-ag Moreno. According to Zaragoza, Moreno also confessed he was ordered by a New People’s Army (NPA) commander to transport the explosives to a contact in Davao City.
“He admitted he was ordered by Commander Bobby of the New People’s Army Front 54, who ordered him to carry the backpack to Barangay Toril, then somebody would accompany him and deliver the IEDs to Barangay Tamayong,” he told Rappler.
Charges for illegal possession of explosives and violation of election laws are currently being prepared against Moreno.
Attacking Exhibit A?
On his Facebook, former North Cotabato governor Manny Piñol said Moreno’s apprehension could be part of a bigger plot to discredit Mayor Rodrigo Duterte by making it appear Davao City is not as safe as he has often put out.
“Duterte, who is now the frontrunner in the Presidential race because of his clear advocacy against drugs, criminality and corruption, has always pointed to Davao City as his Exhibit A. The message is getting across people in the entire country very clearly and they would like to have a community and a country, for that matter, that is as safe as Davao,” he wrote. “So, how do you expect his political opponents would counter that? The formula is simple: Attack Exhibit A. Prove that Davao is not a safe city, after all.”
Saying Duterte has very good relations with Moro and communist rebels, Piñol said it is clear Duterte’s political opponents are out to destroy his reputation by wreaking havoc in Davao City.
He also warned that more dirty tactics are to be expected as the elections draw closer.
“The threat against Davao City is not over yet. People of the city could expect more in the weeks to come before the elections,” he said.
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