Bombing At The Philippines’ House of Representatives

Hereunder is the Breaking News from the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Internet News dated 13 November 2007:

Speaker says House blast that killed driver a bomb

3 solons woundedBy Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 10:08pm (Mla time) 11/13/2007

MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE An explosion at the House of Representatives Tuesday evening that killed the driver of a lawmaker was caused by a bomb, House Speaker Jose de Venecia and National Capital Region Police Director Gearry Barias said.

The explosion, just minutes after session ended, killed Marcial Talbo, driver of Gabriela Representative Luz Ilagan.

“There is a bomb that exploded in the South Wing of the Batasan complex,” De Venecia told local radio.

“This is deliberate,” Barias said of the explosion.He said they suspect an improvised explosive device was remotely detonated because “the explosion occurred immediately after the suspension of the session at 8:05 p.m.

”Barias added that they were looking at a motorcycle parked a few meters from the south wing lobby of the Batasan as the carrier of the bomb.

Among the wounded were Ilagan, Negros Oriental Representative Henry Teves, and Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar.The Negros Oriental solon was admitted to the New Era Hospital. Also taken there were Julasin Hayudin, a member of Teves’ staff and vice president of the Muslim Consumers’ Association, and bystander Dines Manila.

Gabriela Representative Liza Maza, also identified another of the wounded as her driver Mike Lim.

She said Ilagan, Lim and Talbo were rushed to the nearby Miguel Malvar Hospital.Barias said Talbo’s body was retrieved from inside Ilagan’s car and was identified through his identification card. He said at least four other people were wounded.

Maza said she had looked out her office window on hearing the explosion and saw Ilagan’s car on the driveway of the south wing of the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City and next to a vehicle, reportedly Akbar’s Fortuner sports utility vehicle, which was on fire.

Representatives who were still inside the Batasan when the explosion occurred have not been allowed to leave.The Gabriela solon said she and Ilagan had left the session hall together but her colleague went straight to the south wing to leave while she passed by her office.“I heard a loud explosion and thought at first it was thunder but realized it was too loud to be thunder,” Maza said. “When I looked out my window, I saw a vehicle on fire and near that vehicle was the car of Congresswoman Ilagan.”She said she immediately sent a member of her staff down to check the situation and was told “there were bodies sprawled throughout the lobby.

”De Venecia said he had ordered a “clean sweep” of the sprawling complex, located north of the capital Manila, to ensure “there are no other bombs that are left behind.”Congressman Joel Villanueva said less than 50 of the House’s 275 members were left inside when the bomb exploded.“It was a very huge explosion,” Villanueva said.

 ”We are stunned.”Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon, who has arrived at the Batasan, is under orders from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to personally supervise the investigation of the explosion, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.Bunye said Razon is under instructions to determine the cause of the explosion and make periodic reports to Arroyo.

Thea Alberto, Nonoy Espina, Lira Fernandez; AFP