By Ronron
January 31, 2008
The Philippine National Police (PNP) cannot single out a possible motive yet for the blast on Wednesday night in General Santos City that killed four people already and hurt 29 others.
Region 12 police director Chief Supt. Felizardo Serapio told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview that investigation is still ongoing to determine the motive for the blast, even as he said that it was triggered “most probably by an improvised explosive device (IED).”
The explosion happened at around 6:45 pm outside the gate of the Philbest Canning Corporation in Barangay Tambler when employees were changing shift at work.
Serapio said investigators could not say yet if it was a terrorist attack because they noted that it happened away from the center of the city, about eight kilometers away.
He said they could not also relate it to possible extortion attempt from the tuna canning firm because according to the management, “they have not received any demand or calls for that matter.”
“They also said that there is no labor dispute in the company,” Serapio said. “So, it’s too early to say that the target was really Philbest Canning Corporation.”
But city police director Sr. Supt. Robert Po said that they found out there was actually a case filed against the company sometime last year by 18 dismissed employees, which was resolved by the National Labor Relations Commission in favor of the company.
“The company said they have a good working relation with their employees but with this previous case filed by 18 dismissed employees, we will look into it of course. We will try to interview the 18 individuals and find out if they are capable or have some connections,” Po said in a separate phone interview.
If the extortion and the labor issue are totally ruled out, Po said they can go explore again the terrorism angle.
“I really can’t say yet that terrorism is a very remote angle or a very possible one. But usually, if an explosion happens, the terrorist group or secessionist group behind it immediately admits it,” Po said.
Po said his investigators are still trying to ask witnesses, including those injured, about the person or persons who could have left behind the explosive device.
The IED, he said, was placed beside an electric post some 20 meters away from the gate of the canning corporation. He said the post blocked the view of the guards on duty at that time.
Based on the recovered debris, it is possible that the IED was wrapped in a pair of denim, said Po.
“Our post-blast investigators are having difficulty in determining the make up of the IED because they recovered very disintegrated parts. They can’t also say yet if it was a TNT or C4 that was used as main ingredient,” Po said.
Like Po, the Philippine Bomb Data Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City has yet to receive initial reports about the pieces of debris recovered from the blast site that could indicate the make-up of the IED./DMS
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