Thursday, November 15, 2007 Ilagan injured in Batasan explosion By Nelson C. Bagaforo and Grace L. Plata
GABRIELA party-list Representative Luzviminda Ilagan of Davao City is on the way to recovery after she was injured in a powerful bomb explosion that rocked the south wing parking lot of the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City at 8:07 p.m. Tuesday.
Ilagan -- a former Davao City councilor, a prominent women activist, and advocate of Mindanao issues -- immediately underwent a one-hour debri-dust surgery at St. Luke's Hospital and had been declared out of danger.
Her surgeon and attending physician Dr. Roberto Amado assured the surgery, meant to cleanse her wound from any possible remaining shrapnel and elements, was successful and that the wound on her right thigh should heal in no time.
Amado, in a statement, said they will continue to monitor her recovery as well as her hypertension, through the course of her confinement.
"She is now in stable condition and is accompanied by members of her family, staff and friends," Amado said.
Lorraine Gallego, Ilagan's legislative staff, said Ilagan was conscious during the entire time but the lawmaker said she will only issue a statement after the operation.
The explosion killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and also injured Negros Occidental Rep. Henry Pryde Teves.
Also killed were Ilagan's driver Marcial Tandoc, Maan Abustanilo, one of the staff of Teves, and Hayudini Julasiri, Akbar's friend who visited him in Congress.
Compostela Valley Rep. Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora said Ilagan was among those who were immediately brought to the hospital after the incident.
"She suffered wounds on her leg. She was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital. She is now safe, but her driver died," he said.
National Capital Region Police Director Geary Barias told reporters the bomb was apparently left in a motorcycle parked near Ilagan's vehicle and was remotely detonated.
The wake of Taldo, the first reported fatality of the blast, is held at the funeral chapels of St. Peter's church, along Commonwealth, Quezon City.
Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno admitted the target appeared to be Akbar, a former rebel who as governor of Basilan gave his support to military operations against al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf bandits. Akbar succumbed to multiple shrapnel wounds in a hospital.
Puno said that as early as two weeks ago, the government had received intelligence reports of threats to Akbar's life.
"Yes, there were intelligence reports there was some danger that was present specifically with respect to Rep. Wahab Akbar," he said.
He said he expects investigators to be "looking at this angle very closely."
"Both in terms of the location of the bomb, the manner in which it was set off, the early indications are that it was remotely set off and it was a very directed explosion," he said.
Puno added that while it will initially appear the explosion was meant to harm many people, further investigation would show it was a "directed" type of assault.
"It will look from the explosion you are seeing that it was basically covering a very wide perimeter and it was intended to harm a lot of individuals, I think the initial investigations are indicating it was a more directed type of assault," he said.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza, quoting a member of her staff, said the explosion ripped through Akbar's Fortuner sports utility vehicle, parked on a driveway for the south-wing of the Batasan complex, where the House holds session.
Meanwhile, neophyte Councilor Karlo S. Bello condemned the incident saying it is a despicable act committed by cowardly and gutless individuals.
"These creatures are without morals, principles, beliefs and guts. The world would be a better place without them. They should be hanged for what they have done. I am glad Tita Luz (Ilagan) was not badly injured," Bello said.
The perpetrators of the explosion, however, remain unidentified by the authorities.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in television statement before midnight, said she expects a full investigation with frequent updates over the incident.
Puno, in a press conference at Malacañang late Tuesday night aired over ANC, said Metro Manila is placed under full/red alert while government offices nationwide are also ordered to heighten security measures.
The militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Southern Mindanao, on the other hand, held a protest along San Pedro Street Wednesday morning condemning the incident and demanding an in-depth, independent investigation.
"The trick is on again. With Congress, as an institution that is supposed to have a very tight security, has become the target of this dastardly act, then, the agenda is clear and that is to sow an atmosphere of chaos that could justify the declaration of an emergency rule," the group said in a e-mailed statement.
The group urged the House leadership to conduct an independent investigation about this latest bombing incident saying the House should not fully rely on the Philippine National Police's (PNP) reports.
According to Bayan, the PNP has lost its credibility to come up with credible results after it has been changing gears in the Glorietta bombing investigations.
The group also believes the bombing is the continuation of the series of bombings, which is highly stipulated in the alleged internal security document of the Armed Forces of the Philippines -- the Oplan Greenbase.
Members of the House of Representatives Wednesday called for an investigation on the security lapses at the House.
Representatives Roilo Golez and Mujib Hataman are calling on the House leadership to investigate the lapses in security, which resulted to the blast.
Initial police investigation showed that an improvised explosive device could have been planted on one of the parked motorcycles and was detonated on sight upon seeing the target of the explosion.
The two lawmakers wanted to determine how the bomb could have been smuggled inside the premises of the House of Representatives.
Buhay party-list Rep. Ma. Carissa Coscolluela at the same time wanted a review of the emergency response at the Batasan.
Coscolluela said there were doctors at the time of the explosion happened that could have immediately attended to those injured.
"We should improve our emergency response in situations like this," Coscolluela said. (With Sunnex)
