EDITORIAL - What is the truth behind ignoring terror threats?

It has been quite a while since its composition, but nothing seems to be stirring at the so-called Truth Commission. In the language of hobby fishermen -- "the fish aren't biting." Maybe it would be worthwhile for the Truth Commission to shift to a different locale.

In the news jostling for attention right now is the claim of a retired Army bomb expert, Allan Sollano, that the explosion at the Glorietta mall in 2007 was caused by a bomb and not by an accumulation of methane gas at the basement of the building, as how the official report said.

Sollano headed the team of bomb experts who were first on the scene and investigated the blast. He said his report that a bomb caused the explosion was shelved and replaced with another that blamed methane gas.

He was subsequently retired but threats to his life forced him to surface to make public what he knew of the incident. He has since executed an affidavit at the Department of Justice, so maybe determining the truth about this is something that should interest the Truth Commission.

A coverup for business reasons would be understandable. But many do not believe the mall owners are capable of going to that extent. The more likely culprit would be a government trying to keep the lid on a more sinister cause: A destabilization attempt or a terrorist attack.

A coverup based on the latter gains more credence in light of recent government attempts to downplay warnings by several western countries of a terror threat to the Philippines. A state of denial appears to have become official government policy. And this should be investigated.

If the Truth Commission has to earn its keep, it must start work on something whose truth will have a far more significant impact on the country's wellbeing than engage on a witchhunt for no other reason than to satisfy the vindictive disposition of the present administration.

For the president of this country to set the tone of denial over a very important issue such as terrorism seems to be very sinister. In fact it borders on betrayal. While the world is taking each and every threat seriously, the Philippines is trying its best to ignore them.

If this is not betrayal, at the very least it is criminal neglect, in which case the nation deserves to be appraised of the truth. For only in knowing the truth about this crucial issue can the security of the state and its people be truly served.