Still no suspects in Sanchez slay try

Investigators have yet to pinpoint any group or individual behind the attempt to kill Batangas Gov. Armand Sanchez in an explosion that ripped through his Hummer H2 sports utility vehicle Thursday night, killing his driver and police bodyguard.

Police though are eyeing the possible involvement in the assassination try of gambling lords, communist rebels, Sanchez’s political rivals or criminal syndicates in Batangas.

"Knowing Gov. Sanchez matapang yan, marami yang kaibigan pero marami rin taong galit dahil sa kanyang mga kampanya laban sa mga kriminal at illegal activities (he’s brave; he has many friends but a lot of people are also angry at him because of his campaign against criminals and illegal activities)," said Deputy Director General Oscar Calderon, deputy chief for administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Reynold Rosero, deputy chief of the PNP Bomb Data Center, ruled out any magnet or paste used in planting the explosive in Sanchez’s Hummer H2.

"There was no paste nor magnet found in the vehicle, indicating that the explosive could have been sandwiched between the vehicle’s bull bar and gas tank. The effect of the explosive device on the gas tank triggered the second explosion," he said.

Rosero said 15 bomb experts are trying to reconstruct the bomb used in the attack.

"We are in the process of reconstructing the bomb to determine its signature. Almost 100 percent of the evidence has been collected from the crime scene," he said.

In the absence of any timing device like a clock, Rosero said the bomb could have been triggered by a remote control or cellular phone or via infrared.