Bomb discovery disrupts hearings at Ilocos Norte Hall of Justice

Court hearings at the Ilocos Norte Hall of Justice in Laoag City in Ilocos Norte were disrupted after an improvised bomb was placed there early Monday. Radio dzBB's Ilocos affiliate reported that a janitor discovered the improvised bomb shortly before the flag ceremony at the Marcos Hall of Justice. But police said the bomb was relatively crude, requiring the lighting of a fuse to "detonate" it. Police added there was no remote triggering device. As of 9 a.m., police continued to search the building for other possible explosives, even as employees were evacuated. Court hearings for the day were suspended, the report said. Initial investigation showed the bomb, found at the courtroom of Judge Charles Aguilar, included firecracker-type explosives that can be detonated with a fuse. Laoag City police are still finding leads that can help establish the identity and motive of the perpetrators. — RSJ, GMANews.TV