Blast rocks Tanauan City Hall as new mayor takes over

Tanauan City — An explosion rocked the Tanauan City Hall yesterday morning as Sonia Torres-Aquino, whom the Commission on Elections recently declared as the rightful winner of the 2004 mayoral elections, finally took over the reins of the city.

No one was reported hurt in the explosion that occurred at about 3:55 a.m. at the back of City Hall.

Chief Superintendent Prospero Noble Jr., Region 4-A police director, said the blast, triggered by an improvised explosive device, created a huge hole in the ground.

"The explosive device was equipped with a detonating cord and was placed in a secluded area probably just to scare people," Noble told The STAR.

After the explosion, contingents from the regional police arrived and dispersed the supporters of the ousted mayor, Alfredo Corona, who had camped out in front of City Hall for nearly a month.

Noble said Corona’s followers, numbering some 1,000, became unruly when policemen and ordnance experts arrived at the scene, triggering a scuffle.

During the melee, Fr. Diosdado Collado, the city’s parish priest, and his assistant, Fr. Chris de Guzman, of the St. John the Baptist Church, were injured.

Two supporters of Corona were charged with civil disobedience and disrespect to police authorities.

Two tires of an ABS-CBN vehicle were punctured when Corona’s supporters turned their ire at the reporters covering the scuffle.

"We have no choice but to clear all the people inside City Hall," Noble said.

Ordnance experts also found a stick of dynamite wrapped with a packaging tape at the men’s toilet.