THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) recovered 93 assorted unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and related components, including a 500-pound World War II-era bomb, from a junkshop in the province of Sulu, the PCG said Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Commander Al-Hafidz Bih, Coast Guard Station Western Sulu (CGSWS) commander, said the UXOs and related components were recovered shortly after 11 a.m. Monday, October 12, in Alat village, Jolo, the capital town of Sulu.
Bih said the retrieval operation that conducted by its K9-EOD Team Western Sulu, in coordination with the Coast Guard Special Operations Unit Sulu and other station personnel, following reports of heavily corroded explosive ordnance at the junkshop.
“Upon reaching the site, the responding team conducted an initial assessment and coordinated safety measures before retrieving the reported explosives,” Bih said in his report.
The recovered items included corroded projectiles of various calibers, mortar shells, fuzes and other ordnance components, aside from the 500-pound World War II-era bomb that remain unexploded.
Bih said that after proper documentation and safety procedures, the recovered items were transported to the CGSWS headquarters for temporary storage pending proper disposition by authorized explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel.
The retrieval operation was completed without any reported untoward incident, reducing potential risks to residents and nearby properties.
Bih urged the public not to touch, move or tamper with suspected unexploded ordnance and to immediately report any discovery to the nearest authorities for proper handling by trained EOD personnel.(SunStar Zamboanga)