Philippine Muslim Rebels Offer Help To Probe Deadly Shopping Center Bombing

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RDX, Bagong Sandata Ng Terorismo Sa Pilipinas

MAKATI CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 20, 2007) – Nahaharap sa panibagong panganib ang bansa matapos ng madugong atake sa Glorieta Mall sa Makati City na kung saan ay 9 na katao ang nasawi at 129 iba pa ang sugatan.

RDX ang nakitang kemikal na ginamit sa pagpapasabog sa Glorieta, ayon sa pulisya.

Posibleng ito ang kauna-unahang kemikal na ginamit sa atake sa bansa, maliban sa ginamit ng al-Qaeda operative na si Ramzi Yousef ng pasabugin nito ang dalang kemikal sa loob ng PAL flight patungong Tokyo nuomng December 1994.

Sa bomba ni Yousef ay liquid nitroglycerin ang pangunahing sangkap nito at naipuslit sa PAL Flight 434 gamit ang maliit na bote ng contact lens cleaner.Ngunit mas matindi ang RDX – na ang ibiog sabihin ay Research Department composition X – na pangunahing sangkap sa mga pampasabog ng gamit ng mga international terrorists.

Kalimitang inihahalo ito sa TNT at ginagamit rin sa C4 plastic explosives. RDX rin ang ginamit ng al-Qaeda at grupong Lashkar-e-Toiba sa madugong atake sa Bombay sa India nuong March 1993 na ikinamatay ng mahigit 300 katao at pagkasugat naman ng halos 1,500.

Gayun rin sa mga serye ng pambobombang naganap nuong July 2006 sa Mumbai Western Railway na ikinamatay ng 209 katao at pagkasugatan ng 700 iba pa.

Talamak sa India, Saudi Arabia at Afghanistan ang RDX dahil sa matinding puwersa nito sa paggawa ng bombang gamit ng terorista.

Malaki ang hinalang kagagawan ng mga al-Qaeda o Jemaah Islamiya ang pagsabog sa Glorieta, ngunit matindi rin ang bintang na posibleng pakana ito ng mga nasa pamahalaan o militar upang iligaw ang isyu ng bribery ng Malakanyang sa mga mambabatas at gobernador nitong linggo.

Ngunit itinanggi naman ito ng pamahalaan at sinabing hindi kayang gawin ng sinumang nasa gobyerno ang bintang.

Unang pinagsuspetsahan ang Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa atake ngunit walang RDX sa arsenal ng MILF, maliban sa mga mortar bombs. At gayun rin sa Abu Sayyaf na ang tanging gamit sa atake ay mortar bomb at TNT at ammonium nitrate.

Matindi ang bigat ng hinala sa al-Qaeda at Jemaah Islamiya dahil sa kakayahan nitong maglunsad ng malaking pambobomba ng tulad sa Bali resort sa Indonesia nuong 2002 at iba pang lugar sa Afghanistan. Ang RDX ang kalimitang gamit ng al-Qaeda sa kanilang pambobomba, ngunit mas nakakatakot umano ang paggamit nito bilang detonator sa isang nuclear bomb.

Posibleng mga Pilipino o Indonesian o kaya ay Malaysian na miyembro ng dalawang grupo ang nasa likod ng Glorieta bombing, ayon pa sa ilang mga intelligence analysts. (Mindanao Examiner)

3 Foreigners Wounded In Philippine Blast

MAKATI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 19, 2007) – At least 3 foreigners were among more than 100 people injured in a powerful blast Friday that ripped through a shopping mall in Makati City, the Philippines’ financial district, police said.

Police said the two Koreans and a Chinese national were wounded in the suspected bombing of the Glorieta Mall at around 1.30 p.m.Geary Barias, metropolitan police chief, said 8 people were killed and 129 others injured in the blast.

Political activists were blaming the Arroyo government for the blast, saying, state agents could be behind the explosion to divert public attention away from the President.

President Gloria arroyo was accused of bribing lawmakers and provincial governors during a breakfast meeting this week at the Presidential Palace in Manila.

The militant women’s group called “Gabriela” has condemned the bombing and at the same time expressed fear that Arroyo could use the incident to declare a state of emergency and crackdown on the opposition.

“We at GABRIELA Women's Party express our condemnation for the Glorieta bombing as we likewise send our heartfelt sympathy and condolences for the victims and their families.”

”We also express our alarm and suspicion over the impeccable timing of the incident in the light of snowballing calls for Mrs. Arroyo to resign. We call on the public for utmost vigilance, as there may be no stopping the Arroyo regime from using this unfortunate incident to declare a state of emergency and crackdown on the opposition,” it said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

The group also called for a speedy and impartial investigation of the incident to help ensure that justice is immediately served.But Arroyo, in a televised address, also warned those who would try to destabilize the government.

“I warn those who seek to destabilize our government not to exploit this incident for their selfish political motives. This is the time for all of us to unite. We urge all sectors to remain vigilant as the government steps up security measures to protect our people,” she said.

Arroyo said there is an ongoing investigation into the blast and appealed to citizens to stay vigilant.

“We assure everyone that a full blown investigation is now underway. The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are on highest alert and are fielding an additional 2,000 personnel to secure our public places and to prevent a possible similar occurrence,” she said. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Bombing Kills 6

MAKATI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Oct. 19, 2007) – A suspected bomb explosion on Friday ripped through a crowded shopping mall in the Philippine business district of Makati, killing at least six people and wounded dozens more, police said.

Police said there was a report that a bomb had been planted at the Glorieta Mall in Makati City.

Initial reports said a gas leak from a fast-food restaurant may have triggered the explosion, but the huge damage to the mall was likely from a bomb.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said the blast left an eight-meter wide hole at the ground floor of the Glorieta Mall. “There is an eight-meter wide hole at the ground floor and the blast also damaged the second floor of the mall. There could be more casualties,” the mayor said.

Police have identified for of the dead as Janine Marcos, Liza Enriquez, Jose Allen Jesus and Lester Peregrino.

The blast damaged the second and third levels of the mall and cars were pinned by collapsed walls. Glass windows were shattered and debris scattered on roads and the whole place was sealed off by the police.

Ariel Virtucio, a witness, said he saw smoke billowing from the car park. “We saw some smoke. We saw people running outside the building,” he said.

Conflicting reports said as many as 80 people were seriously injured from the explosion and that there could be more casualties as rescuers dug through debris searching for bodies and survivors.

Police said it is still investigating the cause of the explosion. “Initial reports said the explosion was caused by a gas leak from one of the restaurant in the mall. We don’t know if the explosion was caused by LPG alone,” said Police Chief Supt. Geary Barias.

But Alfie Reyes, corporate spokesperson of the Ayala Land, which operates the Glorieta Mall, said it was unlikely the blast was caused by a gas leak. “It’s unlikely that it could have emanated from the restaurant,” he said.

Insp. McVernon Manera, chief of the intelligence and investigation section of the Makati City police, said the explosion have been from a bomb.

“We smelled gun powder when we went inside the mall shortly after the blast. We have deployed bomb experts to search for possible explosives inside the mall,” he said.

The explosion coincided with military intelligence reports that terrorists may launch attacks at any opportunity in the country. Previous bombings in the Filipino capital were blamed to the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya.

At least 53 people were also killed in a spate of bombings in Manila and southern Philippines in February 14, 2005.

In February 27, 2004, Abu Sayyaf militants bombed the 10,192-ton SuperFerry 14 off Manila Bay, killing 116 people. A series of Jemaah Islamiya bombings in December 30, 2000 in Manila also killed 21 people. (Mindanao Examiner)