P1-million reward offered for info on Bar bomber

MANILA, Philippines – A P1-million cash reward has been offered to anyone who could provide information that would lead to the arrest of the suspects behind the De La Salle University (DLSU) bombing on Sept. 26, the last day of the Bar exams.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula announced yesterday that a group has pledged support for the cash reward in order to help authorities arrest the perpetrators of the crime.

He, however, declined to name the source of the fund and merely referred to them as “friends of Gatdula” in a text message sent to the media.  

NBI spokesman Special Investigator Cecilio Zamora said Gatdula received some of the pledges of support for the cash reward through phone calls.

The P1 million does not include the P200,000 cash offered by the Ateneo-based Fraternal Order of Utopia, fraternity of Chief Justice Renato Corona and Associate Justices Roberto Abad and Arturo Brion.

“We condemn the irresponsible acts of the perpetrators, which caused injuries and sufferings to many young people whose aspirations to become lawyers have been adversely affected by this cowardly and dastardly act,” said former customs commissioner and current president of the Fraternal Order of Utopia Alumni Foundation Antonio Bernardo.

The Association of Law Students of the Philippines (ALSP), on the other hand, vowed to extend financial help to the blast victims through fund raising activities such as fun runs and concerts.

ALSP National Capital Region secretary-general Dino Austria said they hope to raise P1 million for Raissa Laurel of San Sebastian College of Law and Joanna Ledda of San Beda College of Law who were the most seriously injured.

Laurel’s legs were amputated while Ledda lost a leg.

The NBI and the Manila Police District (MPD) are currently conducting separate investigations on the incident and have invited for questioning Jed Carlo Lazaga, a 4th year law student at the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu.

Lazaga, a member of Alpha Kappa Rho Fraternity (AKHRO), was accused of hurling the grenade but he strongly denied the accusations.

The Supreme Court is also conducting its own probe following the creation of an eight-member investigating committee, chaired by Associate Justice Martin Villarama.

Corona: Bombing was senseless

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Corona said the bombing was “totally senseless and that the person who did it has no soul.”

He said any information leading to the identity of the person who threw the grenade would be used immediately to help arrest the suspect or suspects.

He, however, cannot confirm if the incident was fraternity related, saying this is just one of the angles being looked into.

Corona said the committee would also recommend steps to prevent the same incident from happening in the future, which would be submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) but would pass through him as a matter of courtesy.

He said if he had his way, he would limit the entrance to and exit from the venue or campus grounds to exam takers.

He said the SC committee has been looking at changing the venue of the bar examinations next year.

But, he quickly added, this has nothing to do with the blast since DLSU had already give notice before the exams that they do not want to renew their contract.

Corona said that there have been proposals but this has to be in Manila and not outside Metro Manila. He clarified that suggestions such as UST or Adamson as venue were being considered.