Revenge, not ISIS, behind Quiapo explosion, says Lorenzana

Rescue workers attend to a wounded man on a stretcher in an alley in Manila on April 28, 2017, after a homemade pipe bomb exploded. Fourteen people were wounded in a pipe bomb blast, Philippine police said, but authorities dismissed any link to an Asian leaders’ meeting under way in the capital. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS

Authorities on Sunday dismissed the claim of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) that it was behind Friday’s explosion in Quiapo, Manila, which left 14 people injured.

According to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the incident was motivated by revenge after a teenager was mauled by three brothers in the area.

“The ISIS can claim all they want but this was not their handiwork,” Lorenzana said.

He added that the teenager’s parents had complained to the police which summoned the three suspects but they did not appear at the police station.

“The [victim’s] father became mad and swore [revenge]. Shortly after, a grenade exploded,” Lorenzana said.

The explosion happened as the capital was hosting the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit.

Director Oscar Albayalde, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief, said that there was still no evidence showing that the bombing incident was a terrorist attack.

“We will not comment on the alleged ISIS claim on the Quiapo explosion until we confirm with certainty that such claim was really made by them. So much so, there are no confirmed reports on any presence of members of ISIS in the country,” Albayalde said in a statement.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the bombing through its news agency, the Amaq News Agency.

“It would also appear, that again, as in several instances of acts of violence or disruption of peace and order in other countries, ISIS is grabbing the opportunity to promote their cause and interest, and gain global recognition by claiming outright responsibility for the said explosion,” he added.

The Manila Police District earlier said that the explosion at a peryahan (fair), caused by a homemade pipe bomb, was prompted by a teenager’s complaint against three brothers he had a feud with in Barangay 391.

The brothers identified only as Bebot, Tangki and Komang Kahulugan were not among the victims in Friday’s incident. Most of those injured were passersby or workers at the fair.