Police recover bomb parts at Batasan blast site

By Ronron
November 14, 2007

Police investigators have recovered broken parts of a cellular phone and burned nails believed to be parts of the improvised explosive device (IED) that was used in the blast Tuesday night at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

Police officials said Wednesday that the cellular phone and burned nails were found scattered within an almost 30-meter diameter range at the south wing lobby of the Lower House building where the blast happened past 8pm the other day (Tuesday).

“We now have evidence of a bomb – the cellphone and pieces of nails that were used as shrapnel of the bomb,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said in a news conference yesterday.

The main charge of the IED, however, has yet to be determined pending the results of the chemical analysis of the swabs made by members of the Philippine Bomb Data Center at the site.

National Capital Region Police chief Director Geary Barias had earlier said the IED could have been placed on a motorcycle and remotely detonated because burned and wrecked parts of a motorcycle were also scattered at the blast site.

“We believe that the attack is personality-oriented than institutional because of the type of the bomb used, which is remote-controlled detonation,” Barias told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday evening.

“Because this was activated by a cellphone, it means the suspect has the discretion as to when the bomb will go off and who he or she wanted hurt… Otherwise, he could have just used a timing device and then the blast will just be to-whom-it-may-concern,” he explained.

Razon also said that the basis for theorizing that Akbar was the target is his proximity to the blast and the prevailing reports that he has been receiving threats against his life.

Akbar died about two hours after the blast rocked the south wing lobby of the Lower House building past 8pm Tuesday. A driver of Gabriela Congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan died on the spot during the blast.

Asked if the angle of terrorism is now ruled out, Barias said in a separate interview at Camp Crame earlier in the day: “It looks like that is the case. There is a target and the target could be (Cong.) Akbar. This could not be accident.”

Barias said there could be three possible motives against Akbar. First is his link with the Abu Sayyaf Group, which he reportedly co-founded but later left when the group engaged in terrorist activities.

Second is politics, knowing how hot it is in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

And third is possible personal issues.

Among the three, however, Barias said the first two have more weight, although investigators have yet to get a specific, concrete basis.

“We know there have been some threats against him even before,” Barias said.

ARMM Police Director Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao said the known political nemesis of Akbar are the Salappudin’s and the Hataman’s, but he clarified there are no concrete threats posed by them against the Congressman.

“I think it was really intended for Cong. Akbar and it was political. In ARMM, you only refer to politics when you talk about feud,” Goltiao said.

As to the ASG angle, Goltiao said what he only knows is that the ASG have ill-feelings against him, but he is not certain about any specific threat against his life by the ASG.

Barias said their investigators, led by Quezon City Police Director Sr. Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, are now gathering details about the threats against Akbar’s life that could have led to Tuesday night’s incident.

Akbar’s remains were immediately flown yesterday morning to Zamboanga City and sailed to Basilan where it was buried at around 1pm at his property in Isabela City. Under Moslem traditions, a dead body has to be buried within 12 hours after the time of death.

Meanwhile, as of 7:30 pm yesterday, the death toll in the blast already reached four with the expiration at St. Luke’s Hospital of Julasiri “Niki” Hayudini, a staff of Akbar, and at Capitol Medical Center of Maan Bustalino, a staff of Ilagan.

Records from the QCPD showed there are also 15 others that were hurt, although only seven remain at the two hospitals cited above, undergoing treatment.

The QCPD report also showed that a total of six vehicles were damaged by the incident./DMS