Sandro Marcos to ask for security sweep after bombs near DOJ, Senate

House of Representatives Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos — Photo from House of Representatives/Facebook MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos will ask for another security sweep of the Batasang Pambansa complex after the discovery of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) near the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Senate. In an ambush interview on Monday morning, after the opening of the second regular session of the 19th Congress, Marcos was asked about the IED explosion near the entrance of the DOJ compound in Padre Faura Street, Manila; and the discovery of another makeshift bomb outside the Senate premises, particularly along Diokno Boulevard. The IEDs were discovered hours before the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of Marcos’ father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which will be delivered in a joint congressional session at the Batasang Pambansa’s plenary hall. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Midnight explosion hits DOJ compound in Manila “This is news to me. I didn’t know that, where, in the DOJ and the Senate? Wow, let me verify those reports first, this is news to me. It’s the first (time) I’ve heard of it,” the younger Marcos told reporters. “I have complete trust in the necessary authorities to, number one, find the perpetrators who did this; number two, find out what the motive is,” he added. When asked if the explosion and the discovery of the IED near the Senate were linked to the Sona, the House official said it is “very hard to believe in coincidences.” “You know, whether it’s tied to the Sona or not, it’s very hard to believe in coincidences, right? Especially with the political climate we are living through in this day and age,” he said. Article continues after this advertisement “I think it’s incumbent upon us to be extra wary with things like this happening. I think I’m going to ask the Presidential Security Command to do one more sweep of Congress after that news,” he added. In a statement on Monday, the DOJ said that there were no reported casualties after the IED detonated at approximately 12:17 a.m. on Monday. Article continues after this advertisement “There are no reported casualties, and the Philippine National Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (PNP-EOD) Unit was immediately notified and responded to conduct a technical examination,” the DOJ said in a statement Monday. “Investigation is ongoing to determine the source, nature, and circumstances surrounding the explosion,” it added. Hours after the IED explosion near the DOJ, another suspected IED was recovered outside the Senate premises in Pasay City. Reports from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) showed that an employee of a towing service along Diokno Boulevard flagged the suspected IED during a routine security inspection by Pasay City Police Station personnel. READ: Suspected improvised explosive device recovered outside Senate – police “Thereafter, the team implemented the appropriate Render Safe Procedure (RSP) utilizing the Hand Entry Technique to safely examine and neutralize the suspected IED. The procedure was successfully completed without incident,” NCRPO said. “The operation yielded a positive result for the presence of explosive components/materials,” it added. According to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., they are now investigating the possibility that the two incidents are connected. READ: PNP probes ‘connected’ improvised explosive devices outside DOJ, Senate “Big possibility or probability is that the two incidents are related,” Nartatez told reporters during an inspection of the police force’s deployment along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City. /das Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.