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A BOMB
tore through the South Wing of the House of
Representatives at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City
just minutes after congressmen adjourned past 8 p.m.
Tuesday night, killing
Basilan
Representative Wahab Akbar and two House employees.
Two
other solons, Lakas Rep. Pryde Henry Teves of Negros
Oriental, a nephew of Finance Secretary Gary Teves, and
Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan, and at least seven
more people were reportedly injured.
Teves
sustained second and third degree burns and shrapnel
wounds on his face and body, and had to be transferred
to the intensive care unit of St. Luke’s Medical Center
from the New Era General Hospital, where he was rushed.
Ilagan, who is also in St. Luke’s, was reported to be in
stable condition.
The two
House employees who were killed by the blast were
Marcial Tando, Ilagan’s driver, whose body was found
slumped behind the wheel of the solon’s car; and Maan
Bustanillo, a member of the staff of Teves, who died in
Capitol Medical Center.
Bustanillo was being transferred to St. Luke’s Medical
Center from Miguel Malvar Hospital along Commonwealth
Avenue when her vital signs deteriorated and she had to
be diverted to Capitol Medical Center.
The
others who were wounded included Nulasiri Hayugini, said
to be a member of Akbar’s staff; Kim Nar Indanan,
Akbar’s bodyguard; Ismael “Mike” Lim, Gabriela
Representative Liza Maza’s driver; Allan Macalumnan, an
accounting employee of the House of Representatives; a
unidentified driver of PTV 4; and Verci Garcia and
Dennis Manila, congressional staff members of Rep. Tevez.
Hayudin
and Manila, were reported to be in critical condition,
suffering from burns and shrapnel wounds.
Dr.
Arnold Corpus of the Far Eastern University Hospital
where Akbar was rushed declared the Basilan solon dead
at around 10:25 p.m. Akbar suffered massive head
injuries but was said to be still alive when he reached
the hospital.
Relatives said Akbar will be flown to Basilan today,
Wednesday, and will be buried within 24 hours in keeping
with Muslim tradition. No autopsy will be taken.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrived at the Far
Eastern University Hospital past 1 a.m. to condole with
Akbar’s family. She proceed to St. Luke’s to visit the
Ilagan and Teves as well as the other victims of the
House bombing.
Earlier,
in a live televised address shortly before midnight, the
President called for sobriety and a stop to all
speculations regarding the bombing. Arroyo has ordered
Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon to
personally supervise the investigation of the bombing.
The PNP
has placed Metro Manila on full red alert.
Following the President’s statement, Department of
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno
also addressed media. He said the police is seriously
considering the angle that the bombing is “a violent
directed attack against a specific person” who may be
Akbar, a former Basilan governor who once helped the
government in its campaign against the Abu Sayyaf, whose
stronghold is also in Basilan.
National
Capital Region Police Director Gearry Barias said
earlier that Akbar could have been the target of the
bombing but added that the police have yet to confirm
this angle in their investigation.
Three
vehicles parked near a ramp were damaged when the
explosion happened. Witnesses were quoted as saying the
explosion seemed to have come from one of the cars
parked on the driveway of the South Wing, a busy spot
because many lawmakers were waiting to be fetched after
sessions had ended.
ANC News
quoted party-list Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel as
saying it appeared a car bomb or an improvised explosive
device planted in one of the vehicles near the ramp had
been the source of the loud explosion which produced a
three-foot crater.
But
Razon said the police have called in the help of experts
to conduct chemical tests to confirm the theory that one
of two motorcycles parked a few meters from the South
Wing lobby of the House may have been used to carry a
remotely detonated explosive device.
The
explosion happened just after two days of tension-filled
sessions in Congress over the decision of the House
justice committee to reject a supplemental impeachment
complaint filed by the opposition, in its bid to
neutralize the effect of what is seen as a
“weak-by-design” original complaint filed by lawyer Ruel
Pulido.
Lawmakers from both Houses of Congress have condemned
the bombing and both Senate President Manuel Villar and
Speaker Jose de Venecia said the work of Congress would
push through today, Wednesday, despite it.
In a
statement, Villar said the Senate would not be cowed and
would continue with its work, even as he ordered the
Senate sergeant-at-arms to tighten its security.
De
Venecia, who said on TV that the bombing may be the
handiwork of a terrorist, an anarchist or an extremist
who might be out to destabilize the government, assured
that the House will be holding sessions today, where
they are expected to pass the Cheaper Medicines Bill,
the 2008 national budget, and other important measures.
Secretary Puno, in his televised address, ordered the
replacement of the entire security force of the House of
Representatives. He directed Razon to assign a PNP
Special Action Force to secure the Batasan Complex. Puno
said the police will also augment Senate security.
(N. L.
Pelayo and R.M. Cruz Jr.) |
