Don’t rush - Terrorist Attack or Accident?

We do not know who was the first to raise the possibility that a liquefied petroleum gas tank caused the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall. Perhaps it was an eyewitness or perhaps it was a radio commentator speculating on air. But a few hours after the explosion, this theory was firmly set aside, and by responsible officers of the country’s armed services.

The blast was most likely caused by a “hard explosive,” Chief Insp. Reynold Rosero of the Philippine Bomb Data Center told reporters. (He also described the event as “most likely a deliberate attack.”) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon echoed the line later in the day.

The day after the blast, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon issued a categorical statement. “It is a terrorist attack,” he said.

That same day, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Bomb Data Center told the National Security Council meeting in Camp Crame that they had found traces of RDX, an ingredient used in such explosives as C4, which is used by the military.

But the following day, Sunday, the wind began to change direction. The police director for Metro Manila, Geary Barias, soft-pedaled the previous day’s assertion that RDX was found, saying its presence would have to be verified by “additional testing.”

This change came on the heels of the rather odd announcement, late on Saturday, that the blast originated from the basement of the mall.

“The explosion came from the underground, that’s why there was a crater-like structure in the stairs going to the basement,” Rosero of the Bomb Data Center told reporters. Aside from the curious construction of that statement (did the police officer say a crater in the stairs?), there is also the inconvenient fact that Makati City Councilor Jun-Jun Binay had already told the media, on the day of the blast, that the explosion left an eight-meter-wide crater on the ground floor.

Even without that conflict in testimony, however, Rosero’s unqualified assertion that the blast started in the basement was rather premature. Why? Because on the day he said that, the basement in question was still heavily flooded. (There were mentions of the flooding in the early stories.)

Where did the water come from? From two tanks in the area, one containing water for firefighting purposes, the other water for ordinary use. Thus, in the first few days after the blast, not a single person entered the basement, because the water was filthy and deep.

How can anyone say on Saturday, and categorically, that the blast emanated from the basement?

By late Monday, the authorities had changed their principal theory. Without dismissing the possibility that the Glorietta tragedy was a terrorist bombing, the investigators said the blast could have been the result of an industrial accident.

Fire Supt. Fenniore Jaudian told police reporters an “accumulation of methane” in the basement could have caught fire and, in the process, caused the diesel tank in the basement (used to run emergency power generators) to explode.

Chemical engineers from the University of the Philippines have come forward to make their skepticism about the “methane + diesel” theory public. To be sure, they have not visited the site, and they have prefaced their remarks with qualifying statements. And yet in principle, their reservations about the theory should give any reasonable person pause. Diesel is famously non-volatile; methane build-up requires a confined space and a stagnant supply of solid waste.

It seems to us that for the new theory to work, the threshold of conditions assumed to exist is rather high.

We recognize, of course, that theories change as more facts emerge. We understand that, aside from that stray remark about RDX traces being found, not much else points to a bomb. But we also realize that in some high-profile terrorist acts, it took government investigators some time to prove that bombs were in fact used.

We acknowledge the investigators’ readiness to continue considering the bombing angle -- they were, after all, the first to consider it. We recognize their testing of new theories as consistent with the emergence of new facts. We believe, however, that their main duty, at this time, is to ascertain all the necessary facts. Unless these are established, any theory offered to the public is a rush to judgment.

Philippine navy commandos clash with suspected militants, leaving 10 dead

Philippine troops clashed with suspected Muslim militants on a southern island Tuesday, leaving four navy commandos and six of the guerrillas dead, a military spokesman said.

The fighting took place on the small island of Lanhil, northeast of Basilan island where U.S.-backed troops have been pursuing al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, said marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan.

He said troops were responding to reports from civilians that "lawless elements" had infiltrated Lanhil when the clash erupted. Four commandos and six of the attackers were killed, while two sailors were wounded but in a stable condition, he said.

It was not immediately clear whether the guerrillas belonged to the Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings.

Abu Sayyaf militants and cohorts from Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah terror network have used Basilan and nearby Jolo island to evade government forces. According to military officials, they have sought refuge with Muslim separatists who signed a cease-fire with the Manila government.

At least 50 government troops were killed, some of them beheaded, in fighting in July and August.

Last week, two soldiers were killed and 10 wounded on Basilan when troops, searching for Abu Sayyaf militants, clashed with Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels. The MILF rebels have denied links with terrorists.

Fighting in Southern Philippines Kills at Least 20 Soldiers

Philippine military officials say fighting between Muslim rebels and government forces on a southern island has killed at least 20 soldiers.

Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants ambushed a convoy of troops Thursday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding two others. The attack took place near the town of Maimbung, on the southern island of Jolo.

Another 10 soldiers were killed later in the day during a gunbattle, also near Maimbung.

The clashes are the latest in a recent wave of violence in the southern Philippines.

Troops have been massing in the southern part of the country since early July when 14 marines were killed on the nearby island of Basilan. Ten of them were beheaded.

The military and government have blamed Abu Sayyaf and another rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for the beheadings.

The United States considers Abu Sayyaf a terrorist group with ties to the radical Jemaah Islamiyah organization. Philippine forces have been on the offensive against Abu Sayyaf since 2005, fighting primarily on the island of Jolo.

The MILF has been fighting for self-rule on Basilan for nearly three decades. In 2003, the government signed a truce agreement with the group, but clashes continue.

New anti-terror law takes effect in the Philippines

A landmark anti-terror law went into force in the Philippines yesterday, adding legal muscle to a US-backed war against al-Qaeda-linked militants but ushering in what activists claim is an era of fear.

The Human Security Act will turn the country -- regarded as a breeding ground for Islamic radicals -- into hostile ground for militants and shield the public and the economy from terror attacks, officials said.

"The general population is safely guarded by this law," said Defense Undersecretary Ric Blancaflor, a chief proponent of the law.

"Only terrorists have reasons to be threatened," he said.

However, a prominent left-wing group, Bayan, said the law endangers civil liberties that Filipinos won in 1986, when they ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in a nonviolent "people power" revolt.

"This is a new dark age for human rights and civil liberties," Bayan said in a statement.

About 300 left-wing activists rallied near President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's palace yesterday, carrying posters showing her image with the words, "the real face of terror." Anti-riot squads stood nearby but made no attempt to break up the protest.

Bayan said it would question the law's constitutionality before the Supreme Court within days, arguing its definition of terrorism was too broad and could cover legitimate dissent.

The law allows detention of suspected terrorists without charge for three days and includes "rebellion or insurrection" among crimes considered terrorist.

New anti-terror law raises hackles in Philippines

The Philippine government, already under fire for a poor human rights record, is coming in for more criticism as it implements a new anti-terror law many fear could be used against political opponents.

Hundreds of people held a protest on Friday against the Human Security Act that allows detention of suspects without charge for up to three days and provides for up to 40 years in jail for anyone convicted of terrorism.

The law comes into force on Sunday.

"I pray that the Lord would enlighten the people concerned and Jonas would be found and that the Human Security Act would not be implemented," said Edita Burgos, whose activist son has been missing for over two months.

Jonas Burgos, a member of a left-wing farmers' group in the northern Philippines, is widely believed to have been picked up by a military "black squad" on April 28, and has not been heard of since.

Black squads is the term used for armed men in civilian clothes or masked men on motorcycles who have been seen picking up left-wing activists or firing at them.

The military has denied it has anything to do with the missing 37-year-old Burgos.

"I believe my son is still alive and I pray that I recover him alive," his mother told Reuters.

"The pain is really unbearable. If it were not for our faith, then I guess we would really break down. Thank God for our faith and thank God for you people out there."

A local human rights group has said about 200 students, trade union and peasant leaders have disappeared since President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo came to power in 2001. More than 800 left-wing activists have been killed during the same period.

A U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings said in February the military was responsible for many of the deaths.

The military has denied the allegations and has blamed Maoist rebels for most of the killings, calling it an internal war.

NOTHING TO FEAR

Arroyo signed the anti-terror legislation into law in March, but postponed its implementation until two months after congressional elections on May 14 to assure the president's political opponents it would not be used against them.

While the legislation was languishing in Congress for 11 years, the Philippines was criticized by the United States and other Western governments as the weak link in the global fight against terrorism.

The country is fighting Islamic militants in the south and communist rebels across the country.

Since 2000, more than 350 Filipinos have died in about 120 bombings blamed on Muslim militants, mostly in the south. The communist rebels do not target civilians but have been known to carry out land mine attacks against security forces.

Besides detention without charges and harsh jail sentences, the law allows security forces to investigate bank accounts of suspected terrorists or organizations used as financial conduits.

Electronic surveillance is also allowed but only after court approval.

"There's nothing to fear if you are not planning anything illegal," said Ricardo Blancaflor, defense undersecretary and the spokesman for the government's anti-terror task force.

He said there were enough safeguards to prevent security forces from abusing the law, adding some law enforcement agencies were complaining it was too restrictive and could work against them.

One safeguard allows anyone wrongfully detained to receive 500,000 pesos ($10,800) compensation for each day in custody.

Nevertheless, the law is coming in for severe criticism.

About 500 left-wing activists marched in Manila on Friday and held a protest rally, demanding lawmakers repeal the act and stop its implementation.

"It's a bill that will trample on the rights of the people," said left-wing leader Carol Araullo. "It will be used by the government against its enemies, its political enemies. It is tantamount to undeclared martial law."

Senator Mar Roxas, a former ally of Arroyo, said: "The government already suffers from highly negative public perceptions in regard to its human rights record.

"To push the limits further would only breed more fear and anger among the people. Better to err on the side of human rights than to breed tyranny."

Arroyo: Anti-terror law is 'defending way of life'

Delivering her strongest pitch yet for the controversial anti-terror law officially named the Human Security Act (HSA), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said here that the new measure is not just about crushing terrorists in the country but "about defending our way of life."

Arroyo, speaking at the closing of the Mindanao Peace and Security Summit here, said the HSA was vital in preventing terrorist attacks on vital installations, singling out Mindanao's power infrastructure.

"I am hereby ordering the increased security of vital power and transportation facilities in Mindanao," she said. "Let us begin the implementation of the Human Security Act by using it as a tool to prevent multi-billion-peso hydroelectric dams and power grids from being whacked by terrorists."

She said knocking out these facilities caused more than just inconvenience.

"The deeper reality is when there is no power, there is no work, and therefore, the Human Security Act is about defending our way of life," she said.

At the same time, Arroyo offered assurances that civil and human rights will be guaranteed and that violators of these rights will be dealt with by law.

Arroyo said all those, including government agencies, tasked with implementing the law must ensure that the rights of citizens are respected.

"Hand in hand with the need for economic prosperity is the need to strengthen our institutions of government to ensure that civil rights and social justice are available to all Filipinos, not just a privileged few," she said.

Various groups, including the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, have expressed concern that the law might be used to quell dissent but Arroyo has said there is no stopping the HSA from taking effect on July 15.

In a declaration, participants of the summit expressed support for the HSA and pledged to help in the information drive on the law.

Arroyo also stressed that the military "must continue on its path to reform."

"They must become even more professional every day at the same time they fight to eliminate the armed terrorist threats to the nation from religious extremists or communist terrorists," she said.

Arroyo condemned anew political killings, including those of members of media.

"The political terrorists who live outside the boundaries of human justice and who have marked the stability of our nation and the rule of law for extinction live by no moral code," Arroyo said. "We must band together as a people and as public servants to stop this violence."

While reiterating her belief that 99 percent of the military and the police are good, she reminded them that "fidelity to the Constitution is a sacred duty."

"These public servants have a moral obligation to uphold the Constitution and to protect the innocent. For this reason, any violent crime that a member of the law enforcement or military community may commit against innocent people is even more wrong and must be stopped. No one is above the law," she said.

"We are entering a new era of civil and human rights. The front line of this effort is built on lifting up the poor and liberating them from poverty," she said.

At the same time, she hinted of what could be in store for communist rebels, saying communities will also be protected from harassment, kidnapping, and plunder "that are so often part of the communist terrorist[s] who flog a failed ideology."

"Our government will protect the political rights of any person who wishes to participate in our democracy, however we might disagree on philosophy and approach," she said.

"We cannot stand idly by, however, and let the purveyors of violence cloak their agenda behind the innocent men and women they hold hostage to their failed ideology. We will wrestle with these failed terrorists to the ground and free the nation to live in peace and harmony," Arroyo said.

She also said "sweeping legislation" will be proposed to Congress to help end the killings, which have earned the administration increasing criticism from the international community, and remove the stain of political violence from the nation.

This legislation, she said, will guarantee "swift justice" through more funding for special courts to prosecute rights violators.

The rights of victims will also be strengthened through more money for law enforcement and tougher penalties will be imposed for anyone committing a crime with a firearm.

Arroyo directed adviser for the peace process Jesus Dureza to make sure the provisions in the declaration of the summit are accomplished. She also instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. to find a way to meet the 30 percent proposed increase budget for Mindanao.