Bus blast not a terroristic act — police

CAMP ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — The explosion of a grenade inside a Baliwag Transit bus in San Miguel town Friday was not a terroristic act, police here said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Edgardo Acuna, Bulacan police director, told The STAR that Renato Garcia, who owned the grenade was an ordinary businessman beset with business and family problems.

He, however, added that the grenade explosion was an accident and not caused by any desperation over Garcia’s mounting debt and family woes.

Acuna said that the two restaurants that Garcia owned in Pangasinan and in San Miguel had been bankrupt and he was heavily in debt.

Garcia’s wife is in Taiwan while his children are in Baguio.

Acuna cited findings that Garcia used the grenade to threaten his creditors.

"Sinasabi niya sa mga naniningil sa kanya na babarilin o hahagisan ng granada (He used to threaten his creditors that he would shoot them or throw a grenade at them if they continued trying to collect from him)," Acuna said.

He ruled out Garcia’s involvement in any terroristic activity, nor with the splinter group of the Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan whose leader, Enrique Mangaluz alias Kumander Tanggol and deputy Rocky Maon alias Ka Rocky were killed by police in a shoot-out, also in San Miguel town on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigation showed that Garcia’s grenade accidentally fell off his waist.

Preliminary investigation showed that a witness heard Garcia as saying ay nalaglag, referring to the grenade that was hanging from his waist.

"It was an accident and Garcia did not have any intention of exploding it inside the bus," Acuna said.

A witness said that Garcia, who was seated at the rear of the bus, tried to pick up the grenade but it went off, killing him and another passenger, a certain Rodel Rodriguez. Five other passengers were injured.

Acuna said there is no reason for the public to panic because it was just an isolated incident and could not be considered as an act of a terrorist.

At the same time, he said that they would investigate how Garcia was able to acquire a grenade. He pointed out that the law prohibits the sale of such explosives to private citizens. — James Mananghaya