MANILA — Operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) raided a Chinese-owned facility in Marilao, Bulacan on Friday amid suspicions that it was being used as a bomb-making site.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago confirmed that several high-risk chemicals commonly used in manufacturing explosives were found inside the metal alloy plant, including urotropine, nitric acid, and tungsten.
“We recovered urotropine — the primary ingredient in C4 explosives — inside the facility,” Santiago told reporters, noting the presence of a small laboratory and several chemists on site. “We will subject these chemists to tactical examination.”
According to NBI Agent Zulikha Conales, the plant had been operating since 2013 under the guise of manufacturing metal alloys. However, the chemicals found during the raid raised red flags.
“The chemicals observed, according to our own chemist, are not typically used in any industrial process related to their declared operations,” Conales said.
Jeremy Lotoc, chief of the NBI Special Task Force–Cybercrime Division, added that tungsten — one of the seized substances — is classified as a hazardous material under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is generally restricted to military use.
“Tungsten can be used in explosives, stealth technology to avoid radar detection, and in armor plating,” Lotoc said in Filipino.
Several Chinese nationals working at the plant were also apprehended during the raid. Authorities noted they were operating without appropriate protective equipment, further raising concerns about the facility’s true purpose.
The investigation is ongoing as the NBI continues to examine the materials and interview those detained.
ia/mnma
