(UPDATE) Isulan cops foil bombing attempt, 2 suspects arrested

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat -- Police here defused a powerful improvised bomb left near the town welcome rotunda Tuesday morning as local police, Army, fire and civil officials were to start a parade, police said.Supt. Jeofel Siason, Isulan town police chief, said the bomb was found at about 6 a.m. along the national highway.Siason said the IED was made of a 60 or 81 mm, cut nails, two mobile phones and blasting caps with circuit board. sand//scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/12802902_916766615096815_5635541945909941434_n.jpg?oh=3efc54a29331f516847e59a46e166bdaandampoe=574F18BC (The explosive after it was detonated by Army and police bomb experts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat) Siason said two men riding tandem on a motorbike left a black bag at the road side where the parade participants, led by Isulan Mayor Diosdado Pallasigue, was to pass. They hurriedly dropped offthe bag but it tilted and fell on its side so one of the man returned to let the bag stand, Siason told DXOM-AM Radyo Bida Koronadal. It was then that we became suspicious, Siason said. When checked by bomb experts, the suspicion was confirmed and the IED was defused.Pallasigue believed he was the target of the IED. He claimed to have been receiving death threat since he filed his candidacy for the gubernatorial race of Sultan Kudarat.The two suspects were later arrested and under investigation. Police chased them after the two left the bag. sand//scontent-sin1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10660105_916766618430148_8708245840215104040_n.jpg?oh=e9b99de118ba50cd360ad1de1b559613:ampoe=574DECA3 As the suspects were speeding, they crashed on a roadside and people nearby pounced on them until the police arrived and brought them to police office for investigation.Siason said police investigators are also determining of the explosive was also intended for the headquarters of Sultan Kudarat Vice Gov. Ernesto Matias which is about 15 meters away from the side where the explosive was left.Matias is running for mayor of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.