Monday, November 26, 2007 Maxey: Paranoia By Ram Maxey Bar None
EVER since the bombing at the House of Representatives in the Batasan complex in Quezon City that killed four people, including Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar, and injured several others, I have become wary of motorcycles.
The bomb was attached to a motorcycle that was parked near the entrance of the building's south wing right next to a parking lot.
According to the police theory, Akbar was closest to the motorcycle as he waited for his driver to pick him up when the bomb was set off by someone using a cellphone to trigger the explosion.
Subsequent news photos showed the heavily damaged motorcycle after it had been meticulously put together again with one large section missing, the part where the bomb was supposed to have been attached.
The scary thing is that it shows how easy it is to commit a crime with the use of a motorcycle, which can easily be parked anywhere.
The plan of Vice Governor Manny Piñol of North Cotabato to compel business establishments, in Kidapawan City, to put up camera-monitoring systems thereat is a good one. But it's not going to prevent future bombings. The cameras will be valuable to investigators only AFTER a bombing, as it would show the comings and goings of people and perhaps later point to the most probable suspect who planted the bomb from among the hundreds of people who had been in the establishment that fateful day.
There is still no substitute for alert security personnel scrutinizing every man, woman and child who comes in through the door carrying a bag or a parcel. A camera can't frisk or open a bag, you know.
