Frat war seen as possible cause of De La Salle blast

MANILA, Philippines - Investigators of the Supreme Court (SC) are zeroing in on a fraternity war as the possible cause of the grenade attack that injured 47 people during the last day of the Bar examinations on Sept. 26 outside De la Salle University on Taft Avenue in Manila.

Deputy court administrator Raul Villanueva said the eight-man panel chaired by Associate Justice Martin Villarama Jr. saw no strong indication that the incident resulted from other motives.

“Four witnesses so far have testified,” he said. “There are some angles that are apparently not strong.”

The SC panel was reportedly looking into five angles when it started the probe last Oct. 1. Among these is the possibility that the attack was carried out not by a fraternity, but by certain individuals with a personal motive.

Villanueva said the SC probe panel is leaving it to the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police to decide whether to pursue these angles.

“The committee is evaluating the testimonies given during the investigation and the statements in its possession as well as awaiting the formal results of the fragments and the progress of its follow-up operations in the next meeting on Monday,” he said.

Villanueva said after establishing who should be held criminally or administratively liable for the attack, the panel would then tackle measures to prevent occurrence of similar incidents and to strengthen security protocols in the Bar examinations.

The committee is expected to submit its report to Chief Justice Renato Corona on Oct. 15.

The SC earlier reportedly received initial information showing that most of the victims are students of San Beda College of Law.

It was found that they are members of Alpha Phi Beta fraternity and sorority, which strengthens the possibility that a fraternity war could be behind the attack.

The device thrown by still unidentified suspects exploded in the inner circle formed by Alpha Phi Beta where its female members were standing.

The fraternity men formed the outer circle as if they were protecting their sisters from an “anticipated attack.”

It was learned that Alpha Phi Beta has a “long-standing rivalry” with another fraternity, also in San Beda College, Lambda Rho Beta.

However, a fraternity member who witnessed the incident told The STAR that a scuffle between Lambda Rho Beta and Sigma Rho fraternities ensued prior to the incident.

Police reports showed that the one who threw the explosive device was wearing a shirt that bore the Greek letter emblem of Alpha Kappa Rho (Akrho), which was allegedly at odds with members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity.

Associate Justice Jose Mendoza serves as vice chair of the committee.

The other members are: Ma. Cristina Layusa, deputy clerk of court and Bar confidant; Dean Perry Pe, chair of the Philippine Association of Law Schools (PALS); Constantino Joson, regional director of NBI-NCR; Superintendent Francisco Gabriel, head of Manila police special investigation task group; and Charlotte Silungan, Association of Law Students of the Philippines NCR chapter vice president.