Thirty-three concealed grenades were recovered by authorities in Barangay Sirawan, Toril District yesterday morning.
Col. Nolasco Mempin, the Task Force Davao commander, said they found 30 MK2 grenades and three smoke grenades. Also recovered was one clip, with eight rounds of cartridge, of M1 Garand.
In a press briefing at the TFD’s headquarters in Sta. Ana wharf, Mempin told reporters that a resident found two grenades in Sitio Baybay and immediately reported it to the barangay.
The barangay then reported it to TFD’s Task Group Lawin.
Mempin said the TFD’s Explosive Ordnance Team and the Toril police personnel inspected the area, and they recovered more grenades near an acacia tree along the shoreline of Sitio Baybay around 10:50 a.m. yesterday.
The grenades were in canisters placed inside a drum, buried along the seaside.
Mempin expressed his appreciation to the residents for reporting the matter to the authorities, thus avoiding incident.
Because, Mempin said, if children could have found and toyed with the grenades, they could be in danger.
He said the grenades could still explode.
The TFD commander said they are still coordinating with other agencies, such as the Davao City Police Office and the intelligence communities, to conduct further investigation in the case.
He said they initial suspected that members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) buried the grenades. He said MILF members are still active in the coastal barangay.
Mempin said skirmishes between the government troopers and the MILF used to be constant in the area.
He said the Explosive and Ordnance Division (EOD) could not determine how long the grenades were buried.
For now, the area is already cleared.
