Police simulation urged to prove gas explosion theory in Glorietta

A group advocating transparency in government called yesterday for a simulation of the Glorietta 2 explosion to find out if diesel and methane gas were indeed the cause of the blast.

Lawyer Raul Lambino, Unity for National Advancement in the Philippines (UNLAD) chairman, said they are concerned that the delay and the lack of transparency in the investigation will further erode the credibility of law enforcement agencies.

“I hope that the Glorietta explosion was not a terrorist attack, but police must provide the public with concrete and scientific findings, including those of the so-called experts, before they come out with their findings,” he said.

Lambino said initial findings of experts showed that a gas explosion would have been “deadened by open space” like the open delivery bay at Glorietta’s stairwell.

“Experts said diesel will not ignite even if you light it. It must turn into vapor first,” he said. “But since the diesel is still inside the tank in the Glorietta basement, where did the vapor come from?”

A simulation of the explosion in the basement of Glorietta will eventually unravel the truth, he added.

On the other hand, Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon disputed the police theory that RDX could be found in diesel or methane or a combination of both.

“That’s a crazy proposition,” he said.

“Even a high school chemistry student can say that’s impossible. RDX is a compound containing nitrates, while diesel and methane are hydrocarbons.

“How can the two have RDX in them? It is clear that the findings of RDX in the Glorietta 2 blast site points to the high probability of the presence of a bomb in the mall.

“I am wondering why the PNP is ignoring the evidence and insists that it was an accident.”

Biazon said the accidental explosion theory as presented by the Philippine National Police is not convincing.

“The PNP has not explained how the accident happened,” he said. “Yes, accidental methane gas explosions do happen, but how did it happen in this particular case? In order for them to convince the public, they should present scientific evidence to show how the explosion was triggered.

“Until now, all they are presenting are the elements of a possible accidental explosion. They have not presented the process by which that supposed accidental explosion happened.”

Biazon said the most critical piece of evidence is the RDX.

“The RDX is a nagging question that needs to be answered satisfactorily,” he said.

“It points to the strong suspicion of an explosion deliberately set off. It could have even been the trigger to the explosion of the diesel or septic tanks.

“To set the RDX aside with a simple unfounded explanation such as its presence in deodorants is unacceptable. If the PNP is unable to conduct a thorough investigation into this, I will pursue an investigation in Congress.

“It will be an injustice to the innocent people who died if we do not have proper closure on this incident.”        – Perseus Echeminada