One of 4 suspects in Marikina blast identified

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MANILA, Philippines — The police have identified one of the men authorities said were responsible for the blast that injured five in Marikina City Saturday night.

Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Jagmis, the city’s chief of police, however, refused to give the name of the suspect so as not to compromise a manhunt operation against him.

Jagmis said the identity of the man was given to the police by Richard Bejoc, 34, one of those injured in the explosion at the corner of G. del Pilar and Paraiso Streets in Barangay (village) Parang before 8 p.m.

Bejoc’s brother Reynante, who was also in the area when the blast took place but managed to escape unhurt, also positively identified the same suspect, Jagmis said.

“Charges of frustrated murder and illegal possession of explosive devices will be filed against him hopefully within the day,” the police official said.

Senior Inspector Glen Aculana, head of the city’s investigation unit, said the police were still in the process of determining the identities of three more suspects.

Initial reports had said two men on board a motorcycle lobbed an explosive device in the area, but Aculana said a witness told the police he saw a total of four men on board two motorcycles (two men on each motorcycle).

“So our manhunt operation is now against four people based on the statement of the witness,” Aculana said.

He added that although initial reports described the device used by the suspects as a grenade, the Scene of the Crime Operatives had yet to come out with findings on the type of explosive that caused the blast.

Aculana said the suspects were targeting Reynante, who told the police he owed the identified suspect a large amount of money.

Jagmis said the amount Reynante owed the suspect was P35,000.

The police were still checking  whether this was “drug money,” Aculana said, adding they had yet to come up with a profile of the identified suspect.

“Is he a businessman or what, or does he have pending criminal cases?  What we know is he’s a Muslim,” he said.

According to Aculana, Reynante managed to run away unhurt because he saw the identified suspect even before the explosive device was lobbed.

Apart from Bejoc, Reynante’s live-in partner Angeline Doctor, 32, was injured in the blast, the police official said.

The other injured were identified as Venus Gapultos, 34; Jovan Bag, 28; and John Paul Cañal, 16.

Jagmis said all of the five injured have been discharged from the hospital.

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