Philippine Coast Guard Uncovers Cargo Of Explosives In Manila Harbour

The Philippine Coast Guard has uncovered a cargo of explosives in Manila port and is looking into possible links to terrorism, officials said Tuesday. Bomb sniffing dogs detected the explosives in sacks piled up at a warehouse at Manila's North Harbor on Saturday, a Coast Guard report said. The 10 sacks containing white powder tested positive for TNT, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Arman Balilo said. The warehouse belonged to the shipping company Aboitiz Transport System Corp., which owned a ferry that was blown up last year by Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist group, killing more than 100 people. It was the country's worst terror attack. The identities of the shipper and the consignee are still being verified, but warehouse employees said there is indication the shipment was bound for the southern city of Davao, which has been targeted by Muslim extremists in the past. Since last year's ferry bombing, security on the archipelago's inter-island ferries has been significantly tightened.