Blast rocks Rizal police office; 8 hurt

MANILA, Philippines - At least five policemen and three civilian volunteers were hurt when a fire hit the office of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) inside the Rizal police headquarters in Taytay town yesterday.

Those injured were Chief Inspector Ruben Apostol, 30, the deputy chief of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) of the Rizal police; PO3 Ferdinand Jaramilla, 31; PO3 Ferdinand Nonesa, 43; PO3 Malvin Luisito Alfante; PO2 Jose Gafel Tiburcio; Jaime Valencia, Elpidio Asis, 51, and Ramil de la Rosa.

They suffered bruises and bumps and rushed to various hospitals.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Anduyan, Rizal provincial director, said smoke started billowing from the SWAT headquarters at around 6 a.m.

Three explosions were heard as firefighters were trying to put out the fire.

The fire damaged the adjacent SOCO headquarters and offices of the  Highway Patrol Group, Rizal Association of Police Women Inc., Provincial Executive Senior Police Office and the PPO cooperative.

A gray Honda Civic sedan (ZLB-729), Toyota SOCO mobile car (SJG-785), Toyota Hi-Lux SWAT mobile car (SJZ-801), Toyota Innova (SJG-727), Nissan Sentra PHPT mobile car (SFB-866) and Mitsubishi Pajero (SDP-106) that were parked a few meters from the SWAT office, were partly damaged.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima ordered an inspection of all explosives  storage facilities nationwide to prevent a similar incident.

”Inspections should be done in all police headquarters and ensure explosives are properly kept,” Purisima said. – Non Alquitran, Ed Amoroso, Cecille Suerte Felipe