Police investigators sift for clues on the explosion that ripped through a condominium unit at Two Serendra in Bonifacio Global City Friday night. Left: President Aquino and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas are briefed on the blast at the site.
MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday ordered a "speedy, thorough and unassailable" investigation into last Friday's explosion in Taguig City which killed three people and injured at least five others.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Aquino wanted a comprehensive report on how and why the explosion occurred.
Valte also said there would be no cover-up in the investigation to determine those responsible for the blast.
Bomb-sniffing dogs from the police and the military, however, did not find any bomb traces when they scoured the area surrounding the Two Serendra condominium where the explosion occurred, Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.
He said authorities were still trying to determine what triggered the blast, even as initial investigation found no evidence of a bomb.
"We still have not seen any triggering device of any kind among the debris," Roxas said.
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Roxas said separate teams of bomb-sniffing dogs from the police and the Army combed the wrecked apartment and the debris and found no indication of explosives.
"But we are not ruling out anything," Roxas told reporters before touring the shattered apartment.
"We are not yet saying that this was not caused by a bomb, but this is factual – these three teams did not register any fumes or residue of ordinary bombs. Right now, we still do not know what caused the explosion," he added.
The explosion late Friday knocked out the wall of a condominium unit on the fifth floor of Two Serendra, sending a huge chunk of concrete hurtling to the street below where it crushed a passing delivery van, killing the driver, Salvador Natividad, and his two helpers, Jeffrey Umali and Marlon Bandiola.
The delivery van then collided with a Starex van driven by Orlando Agravante who was unhurt but traumatized.
Angelito San Juan, the tenant of unit 501 where the explosion occurred, was last reported in critical condition at the St. Luke's Medical Center at Bonifacio Global City.
Initial reports said the explosion occurred when San Juan opened the door of his unit.
An American identified as Allen Poole, a tenant of unit 683 of Two Serendra, was also hurt.
Three others, Louise Lorenzo, 9, April Joy Garcia, 19, and Janice Nicole Bonjoc were also hit by debris.
Ayala Land issued a statement yesterday saying they would look into the condition and welfare of the victims of the blast.
"The families of those who died will be provided with the necessary assistance," Ayala Land said.
Ayala Land said it was coordinating with and assisting the police on the investigation of the incident.
"At this point, Ayala Land is not in a position to make conclusive statements regarding the cause of the explosion but will provide updates as they become available," the firm said.
Roxas said investigators also combed through the debris field across the McKinley Parkway fronting Two Serendra and the open parking lot of Market! Market!
He said no bomb-triggering device was found in the debris littered across a wide area.
The explosion took place just a few meters away from a popular area of restaurants, bars and shops that attracts thousands of people on weekends.
Roxas said investigators are interviewing witnesses and the victims to piece together the events leading to the blast.
Roxas mentioned San Juan had been complaining to the building administrator that his unit was "hot and suffocating."
"We will continue to interview the witnesses and victims. I took notice of the complaint of San Juan that his unit was too hot and suffocating before the explosion happened," he said.
In full force
Valte said the President had allowed full resources of the government to help in the investigation and come out with an unassailable report of the incident.
"The President's strict order was to find out the source of the explosion and their findings must stand the scrutiny of anybody," Valte said.
She said the President stressed cooperation between all the agencies helping in the probe.
"And he said that as soon as possible, they should have results and make sure their conclusions would be based on evidence gathered," Valte said.
Valte said the public could expect a transparent investigation and emphasized there would be no whitewash to determine who must be held responsible for the incident.
Valte said Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson sent structural and sanitary engineers to help in the investigation.
"At this point, you are really looking at an entire universe of what possibly could have caused the explosion," Valte said.
"The President said their investigations must be complementary... you have to share the technology and your expertise with all the other members of the investigating team," she said.
Police investigators and personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection also began analyzing the blast pattern and the amount of force needed to propel the debris from the condo unit.
Broken glass and shattered concrete are scattered all over the blast vicinity.
Maj. Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines Public Affairs Office chief, said four military teams composed of K-9 and explosives experts have linked up with the police investigators at the blast site early yesterday.
Roxas added the explosion also triggered a fire between the floor levels of the condominium building.
Roxas pointed out Two Serendra has no fourth floor, meaning the floors are marked as third and then fifth.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) earlier said three other men had been found dead in the room where the blast occurred, but later withdrew the statement saying it was inaccurate.
"Instead of six, only three persons were killed in the explosion," NDRRMC executive director Eduardo del Rosario said.
Hours later, debris from the building still littered the area, with some pieces of rubble hurled dozens of meters by the force of the blast.
Roxas said the once-bustling area around the condominium remained cordoned off as police and fire investigators searched the building.
He said they would treat the area as a crime scene to preserve evidence until they had determined the cause of the blast.
The residents of Two Serendra condominium, an upper-class residential development area, had been evacuated while it underwent a thorough inspection, Roxas added.
He said the two buildings adjacent to the condominium were also being checked out.
Authorities were initially looking into a gas supply issue as residents were told to keep out of other buildings while officials checked the supply maintenance.
Roxas though did not discount the possibility that the explosion was triggered by a gas leak.
Ayala Land to cooperate in probe
Antonino Aquino, president of Ayala Land that built the condominium, said they conducted a routine gas leak check of the building on May 28 and found nothing unusual.
"We will help and cooperate with the government in the investigation… We will give our total support. We will also support Taguig City for helping the victims," Aquino said in a press briefing yesterday morning.
Aquino gave assurance Ayala Land would help those in the hospital as well as the residents who have been relocated to ensure their safety.
Roxas said all residents of Two Serendra who have been temporarily relocated to hotels will not be allowed back to their units until the building is declared safe.
In its statement, Ayala Land said, "In the interest of safety, we have isolated Section A and B of Two Serendra. All other areas within Serendra are being inspected to ensure that they remain safe."
Valte, on the other hand, said the results of the investigation of the incident might reveal the need for additional security for condominiums.
"If there are any specific measures to be undertaken in light of what had happened (Friday) night, that will depend on the findings of the investigative team," she said.
Valte also justified the presence of the President and Roxas on the site just a few hours after the explosion.
"The President and Secretary Roxas were both very aware that their movements were to be limited... The President and Secretary Roxas knew what must be done and precisely, the President also went there to make sure that things were to be carried out exactly in a scientific manner," Valte said.
Roxas said in a press briefing at past midnight that Aquino went to the site because of the unique circumstances of the explosion and also to make sure that the public would be safe.
On the other hand, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano assured that the victims and their families would get full assistance from the city government.
Cayetano also appealed to the public to help the authorities and refrain from speculating on the cause of the blast.
Roxas urged the public to refrain from speculating if the blast was linked to recent travel advisories issued by the US, British, Canadian and Australian governments for the southern Philippines, where they cited a risk of kidnappings and terrorist activities. – Jaime Laude, AP
02 Jun, 2013
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