Friday, February 29, 2008 Senate to tap UP experts in Glorietta blast controversy
AMIDST the contrasting opinion of both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the alleged experts from the Ayala Land Inc., Senator Gregorio Honasan said he will be using Filipino experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) to conduct their own investigation into the Glorietta mall explosion in Makati City on October 19, which killed 11 persons.
Honasan said he will listen to both sides of the story but the Senate as an independent body will not based its own findings on the report submitted by the two contrasting parties.
"It is very hard to make an opinion or to use a report based on the finding of these people. I want to make an independent investigation into this issue in aid of legislation," he said.
The explosives experts commissioned by Ayala Land Inc. claimed that the explosion was caused by a bomb due to traces of RDX, which their consultants from Malaysia said was found two weeks after the bombing.
While the PNP maintained its strong stand that what really happened was a biogas explosion.
Honasan, who chairs the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, also made his own ocular inspection but refused to make any comment on the issue.
He said it is vital for the investigating committee to stand independent amidst the contrasting opinion submitted by both the Ayala Land and PNP experts in order to avoid more conflict.
The lawmaker also maintained that this move to investigate the issue is very vital because of the present danger of Terrorism Act, which is threatening the country.
At the same time, the necessary building code and the upgrade of fire code should be reviewed in order to make sure that such thing will be avoided in the future.
Southern Police District (SPD) Director Luizo Ticman said their findings as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police were all the same. He said these are all credible agencies whose findings are reliable and cannot be questioned.
Dr. Stephen Etheridge, however, said he is willing to challenge the result of the PNP as he maintained that all the materials found in the explosion site confirmed that it was a terrorism act. (CPB/Sunnex)
