‘Suspicious boxes’ beside LRT 2 cause commotion, confusion

Light Rail Transit. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – “Suspicious-looking boxes” left beside the Light Rail Transport System along Recto caused a commotion Saturday as authorities blasted them open, only to discover broken glassware.

“Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams responded to the area and blew up the packages as part of their standard operating procedure,” said Senior Police Officer 2 Nomer Batingit of the Manila Police District Station 3.

“It was a false alarm. No one was wounded and nothing exploded,” said Batingit of the incident that occurred between 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. The area was cleared five minutes later.

Earlier in the day, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority tweeted that there was an explosion at the LRT 2 station.

It later turned out that the blast was effected by the bomb squad on the package that was left along Recto corner Oroquieta Street by an unidentified person.

Chief Inspector Arnold Santos, head of the Manila Police District’s Explosive and Ordnance Division of Manila Police District said the boxes, 10×12 in size, were blasted open by using “water charge.”

Santos said water charge was used by putting pressure on the water to destroy a package where explosive devices may have been stored in.

He said, however, that procedure was not always the same in every situation as steps to be taken would depend on the location and the situation, among others.

“It is the bomb technician who decides on what to do,” Santos said, adding that they blasted the package because the box wasn’t transparent.

Two of the three boxes were on top of each other while the other box was beside them, Santos said.

“It’s not true that there was a bomb. It’s possible that the person who called to say that there was a bomb and the person who placed those boxes are one and the same. We don’t know. But I can assure the public that security has been tightened with every policeman on guard upon the orders of NCRPO Chief General Leonardo Espina,” MPD Director Chief Superintendent Alejandro Gutierrez said.

The boxes were turned over to village officials of Barangay (village) 310, while police authorities were checking security cameras near the area for possible identification of the person who left the boxes.