DOJ designates lawyer in Bar blast probe

MANILA, Philippines - The preliminary investigation into the Bar examination grenade attack has officially started with the designation of a prosecutor yesterday.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima appointed Gerald Gaerlan as the prosecutor to determine probable cause in the criminal charges filed against Anthony Nepomuceno, the suspect in the bombing attack at the conclusion of the Bar exams at De la Salle University in Manila last Sept. 26.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed charges of multiple frustrated murder and multiple attempted murder before the Department of Justice (DOJ) last week.

The NBI said the charges stemmed from the testimony of several witnesses positively identifying Nepomuceno as the person who threw the grenade.

De Lima tasked Gaerlan to conduct the preliminary investigation into the case against Nepomuceno, a member of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity.

“If evidence warrants, file the corresponding information with the appropriate court,” she said.

At the same time, De Lima denied insinuations that the NBI is pinning down APO to protect rival fraternity Lambda Rho Beta (LRB). De Lima is a member of the LRB sorority of the San Beda College of Law.

There were allegations that the LRB fraternity was behind the attack and the filing of charges against Nepomuceno was an effort to pin down APO.

De Lima said she only intervened in the investigation after the NBI identified Nepomuceno as the attacker.

She stressed the NBI did not focus on the possibility of a fraternity war as a motive to identify Nepomuceno.

“When names of fraternities like Lambda Rho and Akhro (Alpha Kappa Rho) were surfacing earlier, I did not intervene. I only stepped in the investigation when they already had the name of the suspect,” she told reporters.

De Lima stressed that if the NBI pointed to a member of LRB, she would have done the same and talked to their elders to surrender the suspect.

The initial investigation of the Manila Police District revealed the alleged grenade thrower was wearing a shirt that bore the Greek letter emblem of Akrho, which was allegedly at odds with the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

But the angle was subdued after the NBI took over the probe into the attack.

The Supreme Court also investigated the attack, which initially revealed members of the LRB were behind the attack against rival Alpha Phi Beta (APB) fraternity, also from San Beda College.

The LRB, led by Roberto de Leon, denied the allegations.

De Leon branded as unfair the reports implicating them in the grenade attack because of the alleged rivalry with APB.

“This fabricated and malicious imputation not only contravenes the initial findings of the authorities but also derails the proper course of the investigations,” he said.

De Leon insisted the LRB “has never engaged and will never engage in such savagery and terrorism.”

“In no uncertain terms, the Lambda Rho Beta fraternity categorically and vehemently disavows any involvement or participation whatsoever in this criminal activity,” he said.