Explosion at Glorietta?

[Monseratto]

Saturday pa bukas yung Glorietta. Naka sectioned off yung damage section, at lahat ng mga restaurants are closed pero pinapasok yung mga empleyado...

[Horsepower]

Hindi naman siguro greed ang dahilan.

I think it's continuity.

Kasi diba they went through a disaster.

Gusto lang nila ipakita na they are strong amidst the adversity.

Sa dinami-dami ng mga businessmen dito sa Pilipinas, sa mga Ayala ako hanga dahil they do everything by the book, di sila corrupt and they help a lot of people esp children. They are also environmentalists.

[chua_riwap]

Hindi naman siguro greed ang dahilan.

I think it's continuity.

Kasi diba they went through a disaster.

Gusto lang nila ipakita na they are strong amidst the adversity.

Sa dinami-dami ng mga businessmen dito sa Pilipinas, sa mga Ayala ako hanga dahil they do everything by the book, di sila corrupt and they help a lot of people esp children. They are also environmentalists.

And also they're willing to shoulder the hospital expenses of those injured and killed during the blast.

[Zeus]

Baka accident lang daw ang pagsabog e


Investigators not discounting accident in Glorietta blast


By Alcuin Papa
Inquirer
Last updated 07:54pm (Mla time) 10/21/2007

MANILA, Philippines--(UPDATE) Was the Glorietta explosion last Friday a terrorist attack or an accident?
This is the question police hope to solve as they finally descended into the basement of the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City, on Sunday, to conduct a post-blast investigation.
Earlier, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Avelino Razon said on Sunday that the Makati Business Club had raised an additional P1 million as reward for any information that would lead to those responsible for the blasts. He later clarified, however, that he had not yet confirmed the group's reward offer.
Police Director Geary Barias, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) that they cleared the basement area of water and fumes and checked the structural integrity of the area to make sure it was safe for investigators to enter.
On whether the blast might have been caused by other factors besides a bomb, Barias said "anything is possible."
He said investigators confirmed that the origin of the explosion was located at the basement of the Glorietta 2 and not on the first floor.
Barias said there was a possibility that the blast was caused by an accident rather than an explosive device. "We are also looking into that. All angles are being explored."
Last Saturday before a National Security Council meeting in Camp Crame, Barias told reporters that investigators took samples from the first floor and found no trace of nitrates.
"The explosion damaged the floor, under which revealed an underground which serves as a tool room. There was supposed to have been an oil, water, and grease depot there," Barias said then.
Later in that meeting, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Bomb Data Center said they found traces of RDX, an ingredient used in explosives including C4 which is used by the military.
But on Sunday, Barias said that the presence of RDX would have to be verified by "additional testing."
In a television interview, Alfie Reyes, corporate spokesman of Ayala Land Inc. which owns the mall, said he would leave the issue of what caused the blast to investigators.
He clarified that the basement where the blast might have originated was being occupied by one of their tenants at the Makati Supermarket. "We are also trying to obtain information from them because they are the ones who know what is in that basement and what activities, if any, occurred in that basement," Reyes said.
He added that the Makati Supermarket had access and security control over the basement.
An investigator at the area told the Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday afternoon that tests done by bomb experts from the US revealed no traces of RDX or any other explosive material. "Their results are negative for any solid explosive material. They have a different style [of detecting RDX]."
The investigator, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the investigation, also explained that the Americans took a swab sample of the explosive material from the bombsite and smudged it on the TV screen of an analysis machine which gave them a chemical composition of the sample. "We asked them to calibrate their machine and try again. They still got a negative result," the source said.
The PNP Crime Laboratory, on the other hand, drops a certain liquid into debris recovered from the bombsite. "When the sample turns a certain color, then it will indicate the kind of chemicals present. But it could be that the samples are contaminated," the source said.
The source said that at least six Americans from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Navy Seals and an Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) unit have been helping out in the probe. Later in the afternoon, experts from Australia also arrived.
The American experts, the source said, tested six samples from different locations at least three times. "There were samples taken from 500 meters from the blast site and also at the seat or source of the blasts, in this case the hole that was caused."
He also confirmed that the blast originated from a bunker oil container the size of a 20-foot container van located near a septic tank. The area also contained aircon exhaust vents, a generator set, empty diesel tanks, and fuel that might have emitted dangerous fumes.
"The confluence of the mixture of gases trapped inside a confined space will look for an outlet and needs release," the expert said.
The source also noted that the blast did not cause fire, as compared to explosions caused by C4 or TNT which would cause black or gray smoke. "The kind of damage we saw is consistent with enormous pressure being released. Gases like methane don't show up in the kind of tests already done," said the source.
The source said investigators should be finished with their probe of the basement before midnight Sunday.
Meanwhile, Barias denied reports that they had a suspect in custody.
He also called on the public to be vigilant and inform police of any suspicious persons or packages.
"Any information of suspicious packages and persons should be given to police. We have to be vigilant especially now that the All Souls' Day holidays are nearing," Barias said.
He also called on the public not to panic in light of the explosion in Makati City. "We advise our people to go about their normal activities."
He said the NCRPO was under full alert "to restore normalcy" in the metropolis. A full alert means all of the 15,000 policemen in Metro Manila are staying at their posts at all times.
Barias said he deployed an extra 2,000 policemen in the streets. Another 500 soldiers from the Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRComm) have also been deployed.

Source: www.inquirer.net

[chris_d]

One thing I noticed is how a lot of people keep speculating left and right causing more fear and confusion, ang dami nag b-blame sa government and what not... Its very sad to hear all the negativity and reactions that do nothing but make things worse... I pray for those who were affected by this directly or indirectly. Yet despite all the news I hear I still think that it was an accident...

[Monseratto]

Curioser and curioser...

'Glorietta explosion may be accidental'


After sifting through the rubble, investigators are now beginning to think that Friday's blast at Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City may have been accidental.

On Sunday, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said probers found two power generators, air conditioning units, empty metal drumgs and the mall's septic tank at the basement of Glorietta 2.

Director Geary Barias, NCRPO chief, said investigators are now checking on the angle that the blast that killed 11 people and wounded more than 100 others.

"We will look into what is inside that basement, what are the facilities [were] because there are reports that we have a diesel depot [in the] basement and then there's grease and oil and water separator and these facilities may also cause explosion, especially when you talk about diesel. Kaya kailangan ng masusing imbestigasyon (A thorough investigation is needed), there's nothing conclusive at this time," he said.

Sources, meanwhile, told ABS-CBN News that a tank filled with 4,000 liters of diesel was also at the basement.

Authorities are now checking on the possibility that an overpressurized tank may have led to the explosion.

Another possibility, investigators said, is that the methane gas from the septic tank added to the blast's magnitude.

The theories cropped up after probers found no bomb shrapnel at the blast site. They added that incendiary effects or burns usually caused by a bomb blast were also absent.

Too early to tell
Ayala Land Inc. (ALI), the mall's owner, meanwhile, said it is too early to pin the blame on the company or to anyone else for the explosion.

"To suggest there was any faulty engineering on the part of Ayala, I believe, is an unfair statement to make at this point," ALI spokesman Alfonso Reyes said.

"We all want to know the truth about what may have happened, we want to get to the bottom, we are cooperating with all the authorities, the investigators and we will continue to do so,” he added.

Barias, meanwhile, said he expects a better picture of what really happened within the next 24 hours.

Earlier, Reyes denied that ALI was guilty of a security breach following Friday's blast at Glorietta 2. The company said damaged at least P100 million in property.

“The basement in question is not secured by Ayala Land. These are private premises of one of our tenants. And the access to that and the security of that and we have no knowledge of any construction whatsoever because these are not our premises,” Reyes said.

The blast, witnesses said, came from Glorietta 2's basement area.

Reyes that basement area is under the jurisdiction of Makati Supermarket, one of the tenants of Glorietta 2.

He explained that the supermarket falls under one of Glorietta’s two types of tenants: business establishments that rent space and those who lease land and are therefore in charge of whatever construction takes place.

"They’re also in charge of securing their own premises,” he said, referring to the second type of lessees.

With regard to initial police investigation reports about the type of explosive that was used, Reyes said it is too early to tell.

He said investigators had recently gained access to the basement, which was flooded with knee-deep water.

“We would be working with them (police) but we have not had any significant access to the site until yesterday (Saturday) afternoon,” he added.

Initial investigations found traces of RDX, an explosive chemical component of the plastic explosive C4, though these differed upon examination of the basement.

Probers also said they are not discounting the possibility that the blast was caused by the methane gas that accumulated in the sewers.

Despite the information, police, in coordination with probers from the Australian government and the American Federal Bureau of Investigation, are continuing their investigation.

abs-cbnnews.com

[Monseratto]

Paano pag totoo nga na di bomba pero gas explosion nga nangyari??? Di bale this idiot of a senator is taking the public for a ride, sayang talaga mga boto niyo mga kababayan...

Trillanes to help blast probe but...


Detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is willing to divulge evidence alleging that the government was behind the bombing of a mall in Makati City last week if an independent commission will head the investigation into the incident.

Trillanes had accused National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Armed Forces chief of staff, in the blast at Glorietta 2 on Friday that killed 11 people and injured more than 100.

The senator’s allegation prompted the National Security Council on Saturday to order the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group to investigate the lawmaker.

Trillanes reportedly agreed to be investigated on the condition that an independent and impartial board or commission will head the probe. The senator said he doubts that the government is capable of revealing the truth.

"It should be composed of retired justices, bishops, church leaders and retired leaders in the government," said the senator’s lawyer, Reynaldo Robles.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, however, barred the senator's request, saying this will give politicians the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Trillanes also issued a warning not to believe text messages pointing to the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) as the group responsible for the blast.

He said that the RSG was also trained by government forces.

The senator's claim came amid a statement from a self-proclaimed RSM member identified only as "Eduardo."

Eduardo denied in an ABS-CBN News interview that the group's spiritual leader, Ruben Lavilla alias Sheikh Omar, was the same person who owned up to Friday's blast.

The informant said the man's voice that was recorded in a telephone conversation with ABS-CBN immediately after the blast was far from the calm and modest demeanor of the group's leader.

Eduardo said he met Lavilla when he converted to Islam in 2002.

Though the group was founded by Ahmad Santos who trained members how to make bombs, it was Lavilla who served as their spiritual leader and taught them the Koran and Arabic, Eduardo said.

The group broke up when Santos was arrested in 2005. Lavilla, meanwhile, went into hiding after the government filed rebellion charges against him.

Police have yet to pinpoint the group responsible for the blast Friday afternoon. The investigation to determine what type of explosive caused the blast is also underway.

abs-cbnnews.com

[suv]

Pansin nyo bakit pag may nagpasabog sa glorietta ang hirap makalabas...

----Pinakabulok na parking design eh nasa mga Ayala Malls....Mas maganda pa design ng lego eh...

----Pag may emergency nakakalito saan ang mga exit....

----Ang sikip sikp ng floor area...tapos yung sa ground floor yung sa gitna na circle na tambayan ng mga family na ang gulo-gulo...Pag may sumigaw ng bomba doon sigurado stampede dahil makitid na yung paglabas...

Sa SM malls pinakamadali makalabas pag may emergeny situtaion...

------Bawat floor may tagusan sa parking

----- Maluwag floor area....

[Monseratto]

I hope the "honorable" senator would now shut up or make himself look like a caged-fool...

Death toll in blast rises to 11; probers doubt bomb theory

The death toll from the Glorietta 2 mall explosion in Makati rose to 11 on Sunday as investigators cast doubts on earlier statements that the blast was caused by a bomb.

Director General Avelino Razon, National Police chief, said Friday's explosion was set off by a bomb, but investigators said it was a premature conclusion.

Three groups of investigators said they are not discounting the possibility that a massive gas leak might have triggered the powerful explosion.

The investigators, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said no bomb parts have been found so far in a cargo storage basement where the blast most likely happened. They added they were considering all possibilities, including an accidental blast.

Accidental blast

One of the officers claimed that there are indications that the explosion was similar to the April 22, 1992, Guadalajara, Mexico, blasts.

The Guadalajara deadly blasts were blamed on gasoline and gas leakage from the city’s underground sewer lines.

Aside from US Federal Bureau of Investigation agents, a group of anti-terrorism experts from the Australia Federal Police have visited the Makati blast site to help in the investigation, providing technical skills in forensic science investigations.

The police crime laboratory office said a sample of debris tested positive for RDX, an ingredient of the high explosive C4, but that finding was being re-evaluated because all other samples from the blast site have tested negative for explosives, according to the three investigators.

"It's too premature to make any conclusion while the suspected explosion site remains under water," said Makati Councilor Jejomar Erwin Binay, who has been monitoring the investigation at the scene of the blast — the most deadly to hit the capital in recent years.

Late Saturday, authorities began to siphon off waist-deep water in the mall's cargo storage basement, where they found the body of a woman partly covered by debris. A badly wounded victim died from massive blood loss in a hospital early Sunday, Binay said.

Most of the wounded have been discharged from three hospitals, but three other victims remain in intensive care, Binay said.

Once the blast site has been drained, it will be easier to determine whether there is any evidence of sabotage, such as bomb shrapnel. The investigators said they were trying to secure footage from security cameras near the area from the mall's owners.

The three investigators looking at Friday's explosion said there was a possibility that fumes may have leaked from a huge diesel fuel container, or methane gas from a septic tank, and ignited in the tightly enclosed concrete basement.

The ruined basement still reeked of diesel fumes Sunday, they said.

Rumors have spread by word of mouth and cell phone text messages blaming the blast on a variety of people — including military renegades, Muslim militants and government forces loyal to Mrs Arroyo, whose administration has been linked to a string of corruption scandals.

Compounding public alarm, smoke suddenly billowed from a seafood restaurant in the nearby Glorietta 4 mall in an unrelated incident Sunday, prompting employees and shoppers to rush out of the building, which was shut by security guards as fire trucks arrived.

The smoke, caused by faulty electrical wiring, did not ignite any fire, police said. -

gmanews.tv

[Monseratto]

Here's another "honorable" senator who says the the FBI, Australian Federal Police and the US Navy EOD is not enough to convince him...Nakakainis talaga.

Nene wants Scotland Yard to probe Glorietta blast

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr on Sunday called for an independent investigation into the explosion at Glorietta 2 mall by enlisting the services of investigators of proven track record from other countries.

Pimentel said the people demand nothing less than a credible investigation into the tragic incident to dispel speculations that the blast was premeditated to overshadow controversies hounding the Arroyo administration.

“People are demanding a true, credible and full public report after a transparent probe by independent, expert investigators of the Makati blast that took away 11 innocent lives and injured scores of other persons," he said.

He cited the United Kingdom’s Scotland Yard as a reputable crime investigating agency, which the Philippines can request to probe the Glorietta 2 mall explosion.

“Whether the [blast] at the Glorietta mall was deliberately carried out or not, the consequence of it is not only the death of 11 of our countrymen, but also to camouflage or overshadow the scandals that have rocked the administration," Pimentel said.

In fact, he said the "rigged" broadband-ZTE contract, the alleged Palace payoff to congressmen and governors and other "anomalies" in the Arroyo administration have been sidestepped and relegated to the background in the media because of the incident.

Reacting to reports that the so-called Rajah Sulayman Movement has owned responsibility for the blast, Pimentel was skeptical that authorities seem to have a “predetermined efforts to blame Muslim extremists even before the investigation has not yet been completed."

“It is to the advantage of the government and the private sector, especially the business community, to enlist the services of experts from other countries to investigate the [blast] even if they have to incur additional expenses, if we are to uncover the truth behind the incident," he said.

Sen. Loren Legarda said Filipinos are made of sterner stuff to be cowed or terrorized into not going about their daily business.

The senator called on the public to be more vigilant and for the authorities to ensure the people's security.

She said that politics should now take the backseat and called on both the administration and the opposition "to form a united front against a common enemy who had shown no qualms in killing civilians."

Legarda said police investigators should be allowed to do their job with the least interference, and that speculations about the incident would help little in the investigation.

"They have their marching order to unmask and bring the bombers and the masterminds before the bar of justice. Likewise, the government cannot allow a repeat of this dastardly deed," she said.

"This dastardly crime is crying out for justice, and failure to capture those behind it is not an option for the police," said Legarda, who grieved with the victims and their families.-