(Eagle News) — Police have already arrested the suspect who planted an improvised explosive device (IED) near the United States Embassy.
The suspect was identified as 34-year old Rayson Kilala also known as Rashid Kilala of Barangay Bagumbayan in Bulacan. He was arrested by combined operatives of the Manila Police District and the Bulacan provincial office around 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday (November 30) in Bulacan, just a day after police released computer generated sketch of the suspect.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said that they would still investigate if Kilala was a terrorist, but was certain that he was the one who left the explosive device.
“Siya mismo ang driver. Siya ang may dala (ng IED). Hindi natin alam kung terorista siya na nag-rent ng taxi o taxi driver siya na nilapitan ng terorista na pakideliver ito doon, ito pakilagay mo sa trash bin,” Dela Rosa said in a press conference.
“Baka hindi niya alam na IED yung nakalagay dun, iwan lang niya, babayaran kita nang malaki. Kung ako yung taxi driver papayag ako, lalo kung hindi ko alam na IED yun,” he added.
Police said that IED was left inside a trash can some 100 meters away from the US embassy along Roxas boulevard in Manila.
A witness said that the suspect was inside a white taxi cab which stopped near the trash bin. The suspect then got out of the taxi and placed his package inside the trash can.
The device contained an 81-mm mortar, a 9-volt battery, a cellular phone, a swtich device and a blasting cap.
This was similar to the IED used in the night market bombing in Davao City last September, police said.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said the Maute group could be behind the Davao bombing. PNP chief Dela Rosa also said that the Maute Group could be behind the planting of the IED near the US embassy in response to renewed military offensives being done by the military in the Maute stronghold in Butig, Lanao del Sur.
