Cops eye family feud in Taguig gift-wrapped blast

By U.S. News Agency / Asian

Police have ruled out terrorism as the motive behind the package-bomb explosion in Taguig City on Wednesday morning that killed a businesswoman.

Director Nicanor Bartolome, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, on Thursday said probers were eyeing other motives, including family feud in the incident.

Bartolome said investigators were pursuing leads that a family feud might have been the motive in the gift-wrapped explosion that killed 31-year Yvonne Chua inside her house in Taguig city.

Bartolome said the leads included the death threats sent to Chua’s mobile phone days before the incident.

“Itong biktima ay may natatanggap na palang pagbabanta sa kanyang cellular phone noong mga nakaraang araw at pinapalagay nya na misunderstanding sa pamilya (The victim recently receives death threats thru her cellular phone but she thinks it’s a family misunderstanding),” Bartolome said.

He also said that the woman, who initially brought the gift package to the Chua’s house in Paranaque before it was taken to Taguig, told the security guard she was from the household of the victim’s relative.

“Yung initial statements na nakuha natin sinasabi na yung package ay galing sa isang miyembro din ng pamilya so tinitingnan natin ito (Those initial statement that we got was that the package came from a member of the family, so that’s other angle that we were trying to see),” the NCRPO chief said.

But he said they had yet to establish a definite set of suspect or suspects as they were still checking all the possible motives of the incident.

Probers are also tracing the source of the fragmentation grenade, two of which were recovered by responding personnel of the Explosives and Ordnance Division (EOD) and the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT).

Taguig City Police chief, Sr. Supt. Thomas Apolinario, said that victim was actually the target of the bomb because there is another gift tag attached stated that: “To Yvonne. Merry Merry Christmas “.

Apolinario said Chua died instantly when the bomb exploded on her face at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The victim sustained wounds in the abdomen and legs.

Her husband, Vincent Chua, and their child were not hurt in the explosion.

Only one of the three grenades in the package exploded, Bartolome said adding that unwrapping the package removed the safety pin from the device causing it to go off.

Chua was unwrapping the gift inside her home in Mahogany Place 3 in Barangay Bambang, Taguig on Wednesday morning when it exploded killing her on the spot.

The victim was reportedly involved in the real estate business, while her husband was in the export business.

The incident took place while authorities were on heightened alert status due to the 10th anniversary of the Rizal Day bombing that left at least 20 people dead and scores wounded and the upcoming New Years Day revelry. (Reported By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan)

Source: http://www.usnewslasvegas.com/national/cops-eye-family-feud-in-taguig-gift-wrapped-blast/