Leftist group owns up to NHA blast

Manila, Philippines - A left-learning group has claimed responsibility for the grenade explosion at the National Housing Authority (NHA), alleging that the agency failed to address the demolition of a slum community in Quezon City.

According to Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Mario de la Vega, the Partido Marxista-Lenenista ng Pilipinas (PMLP) said it was responsible for the grenade explosion on Monday.

Inspector Elmer Monsalve of the QCPD’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said the PMLP is the reincarnation of the Alex Bungcayao Brigade, a breakaway faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

He said investigators were able to get from witnesses a computer-generated image of the man who lobbed the grenade. He was described to be between 40 and 45 years old, 5’6” to 5’7” tall, fair-skinned, of medium build and clad in a white shirt and denim pants.

Monsalve said tricycle drivers at a terminal beside the NHA had seen the man.

Witnesses told police that a taxicab headed towards Elliptical Road had stopped along Maharlika Road that morning. The man got out of the front passenger seat, looked around and then hurled the grenade.

At around 10 a.m. Wednesday, just two days after the grenade explosion, an unidentified male caller contacted the office of NHA general manager Chito Cruz, Monsalve said. 

Cruz’s secretary, who took the call, said the caller identified himself as a member of the PMLP and blamed Cruz’s inaction on their letter.

Monsalve believes that the caller could be referring to a letter of the PMLP addressed to Cruz dated July 2, 2011. The PMLP said unless “NHA officials stop their corrupt activities” involving the agency’s projects, including the planned demolition of shanties in Quezon City’s central business district, “our armed operatives are ready to punish them.”