Congress bet’s HQ bombed

CANDABA, Pampanga — The campaign headquarters here of a former official of the Department of Transportation and Communications who is running for congressman in this province’s fourth district, was bombed by still unidentified men last Tuesday night, police said.

No one was hurt in the incident which occurred at about 10:30 p.m.

Former Transportation and Communications Assistant Secretary Rene Maglanque, who belongs to the Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats), blamed his political rivals for the bombing.

SPO4 Bien Sagum said the attackers apparently used a homemade bomb, noting the residues of nitrates — substances used in explosives — found at Maglanque’s headquarters in Barangay Mandasig.

He said the bomb was apparently tossed in front of the headquarters but it instead hit a billboard.

"The bombing was designed to sow fear among candidates of the administration in the fourth district. But we are not cowed. We will go on campaigning," said Maglangue, said to be a close friend of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

He urged his opponents and their supporters to "exercise fair play and act like honorable men."

Learning about the bombing, Gov. Lito Lapid, a senatorial candidate of the administration’s K-4 coalition, called on his provincemates not to resort to violence and instead "unite and work for honest, orderly and peaceful elections."

Surveys showed a close fight between Maglanque and Dr. Anna York, younger sister of Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc who is now running for Pampanga governor against Lapid’s 25-year-old son Mark and second district Rep. Zenaida Ducut.

York, Bondoc and Ducut belong the Nationalist People’s Coalition, whose candidates in the province, however, are all supporting the candidacy of President Arroyo. — Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu