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/

NCRPO, LRTA, MRT assure public of security measures

By U.S. News Agency / Asian

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), together with the officials of Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT), on Tuesday assured the public of beefed up security measures in different stations of the mass transit system to ensure the safety of the riding public.

According to NCRPO Director Nicanor Bartolome, there will be no spill-over of the Christmas Day blast in Jolo, Sulu even as it ramped up security measures in places where people tend to congregate ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Rizal Day bombing at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) that left scores dead and wounded.

“There is no indication of any attack. We have not monitored any specific threat and we do not see any spill-over of the Jolo blast,” Bartolome said, referring to the explosion inside a church in the war-torn province that left 11 parishioners and the priest injured.

He said that was also the same assessment of the military’s National Capital Region Command (NCRCom), adding that there are enough policemen to thwart any terrorist or criminal elements out to sabotage the Holiday Season.

Bartolome was accompanied by LRT operations managers Ma. Teresa Llera and Wilfredo Bungcarol, chief security officer Jimmy Chua and the NCRPO’s District Directors Chief Supt. Benjardi Mantele (Quezon City Police District); Chief Supt. Roberto Rongavilla of the Manila Police District and Chief Supt. Edgardo Ladao of the Northern Police District.

The inspecting team scrutinized the security procedures being implemented by LRT personnel in Gateway Cubao terminal of LRT Line 2 as well as the inspection of passengers in Farmers/Cubao MRT station before boarding the MRT coach heading south to Taft/Pasay Rotonda station.

They also proceeded to inspect the LRT Line 1 stations along Taft Avenue, stopping at Central Terminal (Arroceros) and visited the exact location of the infamous Rizal Day bombings of 2000 in the LRT-1 Blumentritt station before proceeding to Grand Central station in Monumento, Caloocan City.

The last leg of the inspection was the new MRT line from Caloocan to Munoz station in Quezon City.

“I’m very satisfied with the security measures that the LRT and MRT authorities are implementing”, a visibly pleased Bartolome told the media that accompanied his team.

“Even with the big volume of commuters availing of our railway transit systems, our police patrollers and the security personnel are making sure that a repeat of the December 30, 2000 attack will not happen…Never again”, the official added.

An average of 400,000 passengers ride the LRT on a daily basis.

The inspection was conducted two days before the 10th year of the Rizal Day bombings of 2000 wherein 22 people died and hundreds were injured. Most of the casualties were commuters inside the LRT coach that stopped at the Blumentritt station.

Despite of the absence of any threats, Bartolome said the entire 17,000-strong Metro Manila police force remains on heightened alert status up until the end of the year.

Security measures such as the deployment of additional foot and mobile patrols and bomb-sniffing dogs to malls, bus terminals, seaports, airports, the LRT and the MRT systems and other vital installations have been doubled since the start of the Holiday Season.