Paquibato blast – Give up bomber, police ask NPA

Government officials have asked the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender those behind the bloody grenade explosion on September 1, 2012 in Paquibato district here that inflicted injuries on 47 people after it admitted responsibility for the incident.
“I am requesting them to surrender those who were involved in the grenade throwing. It is not enough to admit the crime since they should face the consequences of their actions,” said Sr. Supt. Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), during a press conference Saturday morning at the Task Force Davao headquarters.
But Dela Rosa said whether or not the NPA hands over the perpetrators to the authoritiest, police investigation would still continue and that formal charges of multiple frustrated murder are set to be filed by next week with the City Prosecutor’s Office (CPO).
This came after the NPA’s Merardo Arce Command issued a statement distributed to different media outlets Friday admitting responsibility for the incident and apologizing to the public and the families of the victims.
In a statement titled  “A self-criticism” signed by one Rigoberto Sanchez, the so-called spokesperson whose name has been appearing in newspapers for two decades already, the group even promised to indemnify the victims.
However, Major Jake Obligado, commander of the Civil Military Operation Battalion of the 10thInfantry Division, described it as a laughing matter since from time immemorial no indemnification had been done to the rebels’ victims.
“How can they indemnify the victims? By using extortion money?” Obligado asked the communist rebels.
Earlier, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte demanded from the NPA an explanation for the attack. A military detachment is located only a few meters from the gymnasium where the explosion took place.
“Even if (putting up a detachment near the gym) was a violation of the International Humanitarian Law, it was not an excuse for them to bomb civilians,” an angry Duterte said.
Lt. Col. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the 69th Infantry Battalion, said it was not a “detachment” but only a “temporary patrol base” being used by the peace and development operations team in the area. [ASA]