JAEN, Nueva Ecija — A blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) rocked this town on Tuesday night amid an ongoing heated political squabble between two opposing mayors here.
This developed as Gov. Aurelio M. Umali on Wednesday appealed to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to immediately implement the order of the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) Second Division, reinstating Mayor Sylvia C. Austria.
Town police chief Major Baltazar B. Corpuz said the blast occurred at the back of the town public market in Bgy. Don Mariano Marcos at the Poblacion at 8 p.m.
Corpuz reported no casualties during the incident as all market stalls were closed due to a curfew regulation imposed in the town as a health safety protocol against the pandemic.
He added that members of the Nueva Ecija police explosives and ordnance-K9 division found out that a low order detonation had occurred.
Recovered at the explosion site were several suspected ammonium nitrate, orange PVC pipe, wires, cellular phone keypad and its battery, nails, motorcycle battery and washing machine timer parts.
Corpuz said the IED was wrapped in plastic inside a container and hidden underneath sacks of garbage beside the market’s public comfort room.
It was the second blast to occur after a similar explosion of the same nature transpired at the back of the municipal gymnasium on Dec. 20.
