‘Mad man’ arrested in Palace bomb try

The Presidential Security Group (PSG) foiled yesterday an attempt to bomb Malacañang by an apparently deranged man who managed to slip past at least two layers of security guarding the Palace.

The suspect, identified as Tirso Padel, is now under interrogation by members of the PSG and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) at Camp Aguinaldo.

According to two reporters who witnessed the incident, which took place less than 200 meters away from President Estrada’s residence, Padel entered Malacañang’s Gate 6 along J.P. Laurel st. that was guarded by three Palace guards at 10:15 a.m.

He, however, quickly bypassed the metal detector and once through, he pulled out an improvised incendiary bomb from a black-and-yellow backpack he was carrying and began shouting "May mga solusyon ba tayo sa mga problema natin sa bayan! Nasaan ang media? (Do we have solutions to the problems facing our country? Where’s the media?)"

He ran towards the inner sentry gate guarding Malacañang Palace and the Presidential Residence after PSG men whom he earlier slipped past pursued him with cocked guns.

Alert guards, however, were already ready and pointed their rifles at him.

The commotion caused visitors to the Malacañang Museum to scamper for safety.

Padel then ran towards the rotunda fronting Kalayaan Hall and with his back against the large tree at the center of the circle, he raised the molotov cocktail, which was a liter-sized Coke bottle, and threatened to light its fuse.

A barong-clad member of the PSG explosives and ordnance division was able to subdue Padel and took the molotov away from him.

While pinned to the ground, Padel kept shouting "may dokumento ako! (I have documents)."

Upon inspection, his backpack yielded a six-inch kitchen knife with a yellow plastic handle wrapped in paper.

Padel was immediately whisked to the PSG headquarters and later transferred to the ISAFP headquarters.

Meanwhile, the military bared an alleged plot of the New People’s Army (NPA) to conduct bombing runs in Metro Manila including Malacañang Palace.

Armed Forces Vice Chief of Staff and Intelligence chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim said the rebel plot was uncovered following the arrest yesterday of Padel.

The 28-year-old alleged suicide bomber who hails from Eastern Samar, Calimlim said, is an active member of the New People’s Army (NPA).

When presented to the media at Camp Aguinaldo, Padel denied being a member of the NPA. He, however, said that he was just very angry with President Estrada.

Calimlim told reporters that the seized explosive if detonated by the suspect, could trigger a big fire inside the Palace, including the office occupied by the President.

He added that Padel’s arrest only confirmed earlier intelligence reports that the NPA rebels are already in Metro Manila to take advantage of the current political crisis, to sow terror.

Calimlim also disclosed that members of the NPA’s Central Luzon Party Committee are now massing towards Metro Manila from Bulacan; while the Narciso-Aramel Command is now in Laguna while the Melito-Glor Command has already distributed their forces in Cavite, Laguna and Metro Manila.

The military is currently monitoring the rebel’s so-called designated pick-up points where their weapons are being stored. — With Jaime Laude