Manila still clueless about serial blasts

By Amit Baruah

SINGAPORE, DEC. 31. As Philippine authorities remained clueless about the dastardly bomb attacks in Manila, in which the death toll has gone up to 14, speculation about the motive behind the simultaneous blasts continues.

It is clear that the blasts have been timed to create confusion and chaos in a country which has been literally glued to television sets and radios as the impeachment trial of the President, Mr. Joseph Estrada, progressed. The trial, which had been adjourned for the Christmas break, is to resume on Tuesday.

Writing in the Daily Inquirer, Mr. Rigoberto Tiglao, a political commentator, said: ``All hell broke loose yesterday in Manila. Whoever were responsible for the five bombings all over the metropolis may have also smashed the Filipinos' hope that the political crisis revolving around President Estrada's rule can be resolved peacefully, and with minimal impact on the economy.

``The bombings were done with precision, in that all the bombs exploded within the span of two hours... that requires military expertise and command... never has such type of terrorist action, done with precision and in five different places, been done in the country,'' Mr. Tiglao wrote.

The analyst, who looked at the claims that the Abu Sayyaf, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) or the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) could be behind the blasts, appeared to rule out these three groups.

``If it is not the Abu Sayyaf, the MILF and the CPP, then who? A group with military training and capability. The masterminds could only be a cabal with access to such a group...'' he said.

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