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Valentine's Day massacre triggered by cell phones
The Australian Federal Police have confirmed findings by local forensic experts that the explosives used in the Valentine's Day bombings in three major cities across the country were triggered by cellular phones, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Edgar Aglipay announced yesterday. Aglipay said the Australian forensic experts "are confirming the report of our (PNP) Crime Laboratory" that all explosives used in the bombings in General Santos, Davao City and Makati City were activated by cell phones. Aglipay said there were indications the bombers used TNT explosives. "As of now, we can say that cellular phones were used in the bombings," he said. Police said a 27-year-old engineer who was among the critically wounded in the Makati blast succumbed yesterday at the intensive care unit of the Ospital ng Makati. Ronnie Soriano, a resident of Cabasaan street, Zone III, Signal Village, Taguig City, became the fourth casualty of the Makati bombing. Chief Inspector Alfredo de la Cruz of the Makati police said they were not able to take any statements from Soriano after he was placed in intensive care shortly after the blast. Aglipay said the PNP will coordinate further with the Australian police to determine if the Feb. 14 bombings were carried out in the same manner as the deadly nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia in October 2002 that left over 200 people dead and the Marriott Hotel bombing, also in Indonesia, in 2004. Both attacks have been blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) group. "They are still in the process of gathering evidence in General Santos and we will again discuss this over the weekend," Aglipay said. He said PNP investigators are collating all documentary and physical evidence, along with the testimonies of witnesses to ensure an airtight case is built up against the suspects. "As I have said, the investigation is continuing at a very good pace and we will try to solve the bombings at the soonest possible time," Aglipay said. "We are continuously gathering evidence." He said he is personally handling the investigation and bringing experts for his visit to the bombing sites in General Santos and Davao City. When asked if the JI might have carried out the bombings, Aglipay refused to confirm this, pointing out their investigation has yet to be completed. On the other hand, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Avelino Razon said they have identified three suspects in the bombing. Razon declared they would arrest the bombing suspects "in due time," adding that Aglipay has been satisfied with investigations on their end focusing on the bus bombing in Makati. "The chief PNP wants us to make sure that after their arrest, the suspects would rot in jail," he said. At least 13 people were killed in the Valentine's Day bombings, with over 140 others wounded. Superintendent Napoleon Taas, NCRPO intelligence chief, said the witnesses are now guiding police agents on a stakeout for the three still unnamed suspects somewhere in Metro Manila. A witness has reportedly surfaced at the Makati police and agreed to help authorities identify the suspects behind the blasts. Razon said the witness, known as "Francisco," has intimate knowledge of how the bomb was manufactured. Aside from Francisco, Southern Police District (SPD) director Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Garcia said they have three witnesses helping the police identify the suspects. Francisco, reportedly a resident of Culiat, Quezon City, is a walk-in witness. He earlier called "Patrol 117" and was instructed to show up at the Makati police station. "We are still verifying all the information he has given us, but so far nothing has turned out to be positive, except his description of the suspects did corroborate the statement given by the bus driver and conductor (of the ill-fated bus)," Garcia said. Last Monday's bomb attacks have forced Aglipay to shelve plans of attending the Interpol conference in France on Feb. 25 so that he could personally supervise the ongoing investigation. He designated Director Rolando Garcia of the PNP Philippine Center for Transnational Crime as his representative at the Interpol conference. Aglipay urged the public to remain vigilant and report all suspicious-looking characters and packages to discourage another terror attack. Aglipay said the PNP remains on high alert in receiving "continuous threats" to the country's peace and order situation. "We have a continuing threat, and we urge the people to be security conscious and inform the PNP if there are suspicious-looking persons in their barangays," Aglipay said. For his part, Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes explained authorities are always working "on the assumption there is a threat." "We work on the basis that there is a threat, there is a need for general vigilance not just on the part of the police but on the part of the entire community," he said. Reyes, however, admitted that the government cannot guarantee that the public is 100 percent safe against terror attacks. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-02-18 |
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