Batasan death toll now 6

Another victim in the Nov. 13 bombing at the House of Representatives in Quezon City died last Monday, and brought to six the fatalities in the blast that included Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.

Vercita Garcia, 34, another member of the staff of Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves, died of “multiple organ failure secondary to multiple blast injury” at the St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Quezon City.

Congressman Teves, who was also seriously wounded in the bombing at the Batasang Pambansa’s South Wing lobby, was reportedly taken out of the intensive care unit of the SLMC.

More than two weeks ago, Dennis Manila, another legislative aide of Teves, died at the SLMC. Manila’s leg had been amputated.

Teves’ chief-of-staff Maan Gale Bustaliño, 30, died while being rushed to the hospital following the blast.

Aside from Teves’ three staff members and Rep. Akbar, the other fatalities were Marcial Taldo, driver of Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan, who was also injured in the explosion; and Julasiri Hayudini, an aide of Akbar.

Taldo died on the spot, Akbar died at the FEU Hospital in Fairview hours after the incident, while Hayudini died at the SLMC a day after the bombing that was allegedly perpetrated by political rivals of Rep. Akbar.

Police and military agents arrested Ikram Indama, Kahidar Awnal and Adham Kusain during a raid at the suspects’ safehouse at Violago Homes in Payatas, Quezon City on Nov. 15, or two days after the bombing at the Batasan complex.

During the same raid, Redwan Idaman, his wife Saing and bomb expert Abu Jandal were killed after a shootout with members of the raiding team.

Police nabbed former mayor Harijun Jamiri of Tuburan, Basilan, last Nov. 20 in San Andres, Manila.

Indama Awnal, Kusain, Jamiri, and Benjamin “Jang” Hataman, cousin of Rep. Mujiv Hataman of Anak Mindanao, were earlier charged with multiple murder and frustrated murder.

Rep. Hataman and his brother Jim, former Basilan congressman Gerry Salapuddin, and Police Office 1 Bayan Judda were also charged as “principals by inducement.”

Jamiri later retracted his statement implicating Salapuddin and the Hatamans to the bombing.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court had reset the scheduled hearing yesterday on the habeas corpus petition of the suspects in the Batasan bombing after the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) sought the postponement of the proceedings due to a conflict in schedule.

Executive Judge Thelma Ponferrada set the hearing for 2 p.m. today after Amparo Cabotaje Tang, OSG lead counsel, requested a postponement because she had another case regarding a writ of amparo petition at the Court of Appeals.  – With Perseus Echeminada, Lileth Abe and Elaine Gatchalian