Justice Secretary Leila De Lima. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Wednesday said the public should not belittle the incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where four sets of improvised incendiary devices were seized.
“I heard that there are some people belittling the National Bureau of Investigation upon learning on who is the possible involved in the Naia incident last Monday,” De Lima said.
Reports said that lawyer Elly Pamatong, a disqualified presidential candidate, has ties with the three people arrested at Naia. One of the respondents, Grandeur Pepito Guerrero, was allegedly his chief of staff. Pamatong in 2004 called on his supporters to scatter metal spikes along Edsa as a form of “silent protest” against the government.
“Kahit natatawa tayo sa mga detalye na yan. Ang gusto ko ring sabihin ngayon whether these are really comic characters or pranksters, it is not good to belittle the NBI’s operation,” De Lima said.
“We cannot be complacent. What if they succeeded? They will cause harm, injuries and probably death. The fact that there were planned activities like that is more than enough to really put us on guard,” De Lima said.
She also clarified that there was no bomb or explosives seized from the airport but prohibited firecrackers tied to a bottle full of gasoline.
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