Bomb squad members use an ICOR Calibre Mk3, a bomb detecting robot, to inspect a package that was left along the Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila.
/Inquirer photo
Senator Panfilo Lacson wondered why there was still failure of intelligence despite the over P5 billion intelligence fund allotted to various agencies of government.
“Bakit nagkakaroon ng failure of intelligence e ang total intelligence funds sa mga agencies, sa P5 billion mahigit? So hindi pa ba sapat yan para magampanan ng tungkulin ng intelligence people ang ma-prevent ang ganyang klase?” Lacson, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), told reporters on Monday.
The senator was reacting to the twin explosions in Quiapo, Manila Saturday night that left two people dead and six others injured.
“Kasi may effect yan. Hindi ito ang ordinary murder or double murder kasi dalawa ang namatay, kundi may effect ito maski sa investment, tourism. May impact sa buong country,” he said.
The law enforcers, he said, should review their intelligence efforts, noting that it was not the first time the same incident happened in the area.
“Dapat i-review nila ang kanilang intelligence efforts sa area. Kasi naulit ito after the first explosion. So pag natatluhan pa sila, that says a lot,” he said.
Lacson said Senator Gringo Honasan as chair of the committee on defense has filed a resolution to look into the government’s intel funds.
“Para ma-review rin ano ang output ng intelligence community, not only the armed forces but the PNP as well,” he said.
It was Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III who first asked why the incidents in Quiapo had not been prevented when Congress had set aside “a lot of money for intelligence agencies.”
“I sympathize with the victims and commend policemen for their quick response. But I am wondering where the intelligence agencies are. Preventing these explosions is their job,” Pimentel said in a statement on Sunday.
“We set aside a lot of money for intelligence agencies. If they can’t prevent these explosions, I expect that at the very least, they [the intelligence agencies] can catch the culprits and prevent things like these from happening again.”
Pimentel said the intelligence agencies must “account for every peso that was allocated to them, and give me a very good reason for this failure of intelligence on their part.”/Inquirer.net