Police nab man carrying grenade along Kidapawan highway

KIDAPAWAN CITY -– Authorities arrested a suspected bomber in a highway inspection here, around 1:30 a.m., Sunday.
Superintendent John Meridel Calinga, city police director, identified the suspect as Mark Garde Villamor, 35, of Poblacion, Matalam.Calinga said they recovered from the suspect a fragmentation grenade, the same type of explosive that was used to sow panic and terror among residents of North Cotabato.
Last week, at least three grenades were blasted along the national highway in Kabacan town in three separate incidents, which wounded six commuters and bystanders, one of them a minor.
Villamor was onboard his motorcycle when flagged down by operatives, led by Inspectors Fulache and Petallo, both from the Kidapawan City PNP, during their Oplan Lambat Bitag Sasakyan” along the highway in Barangay Balindog.The grenade, according to Calinga, was placed inside the suspect’s sling bag.
Villamor was immediately placed under police custody while charges are being prepared against him.
Police are yet to dig deeper as to Villamor’s connections to the lawless groups responsible for the grenade blasts in Kabacan and the explosion in Davao City. City Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the arrest of Villamor was part of the city'scontinuing efforts to ensure public safety.
He said in the next succeeding months, his office will install at least 150 pieces of 250-watt sodium street lights to different barangays in the city, particularly those considered as crime-prone and areas used as exit and entrance routes of lawless elements.