Batasan blast death toll now 5

The death toll in the Nov. 13 bombing of the House of Representatives went up to five when one of the injured died yesterday morning.

Dennis Manila, a legislative staff of Negros Oriental Rep. Pryde Henry Teves, died from his injuries at the intensive care unit of the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

Marilen Lagniton, St. Luke’s vice president for customer affairs, said Manila expired at past 5 a.m. because of complications caused by burns in different parts of his body. 

Manila had been in the ICU since he was admitted to the hospital more than two weeks ago, she added.

Manila was first taken to the Gen. Malvar Hospital on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City near the Batasang Pambansa.

He was moved to St. Luke’s because of the severity of his wounds. His leg was earlier amputated by doctors.

Maan Gale Bustaliño, 30, chief of staff of Teves, died on the way to the hospital after the explosion at the House of Representatives.

Three other people died in the bombing: Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar; Julasiri Hayudini, a staff of Akbar; and Marcial Taldo, driver of Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan.

Taldo died on the spot; Akbar died at the Dr. Nicanor Reyes-Far Eastern University Medical Center in Fairview, Quezon City hours after the bombing; while Hayudini died at St. Luke’s a day after the blast. 

Meanwhile, Rep. Mujiv Hataman of Anak Mindanao party-list will appear before the Department of Justice (DOJ) to defend himself against allegations that he was involved in the bombing of the House of Representatives.

“I will go to the DOJ if they send me a subpoena,” he said.

“I have nothing to hide. My conscience is clear. I know I will be cleared if only the police will conduct a thorough investigation.”

Hataman said it is clear that police investigators are following a “script” in including him in the charge sheet, although three of the suspects had refused to sign affidavits in front of prosecutors.

Former Tuburan, Basilan mayor Harijun Jamiri and two other suspects, Ikram Indama and Kahidar Awnal, refused to sign affidavits before State Prosecutor Peter Ong and his panel because the lawyer representing them was not of their choice.

Police have charged Hataman, his brother Jim, and former House deputy speaker Gerry Salapuddin as “principals by inducement” for the four counts of murder and several counts of frustrated murder in connection with the attack on the legislative building.

A “principal by inducement” is a person who does not take a direct part in the execution of a crime, but induced or forced another to commit it, according to police investigators.

The Hatamans and Salapuddin, along with Police Officer 1 Bayan Judda of the Basilan police, were charged based on the testimonies of Indama and Jamiri.

Judda remains in hiding, according to the police.

Jamiri, Indama, Kahidar Awnal and Adham Kusain were earlier arrested in a series of raids and were charged with murder and frustrated murder.

Jamiri told Ong his counsel of choice was Eduardo Aribas, not Confesor Sansano, who was present when he executed the affidavit.

Aribas asked Ong that Jamiri be transferred from Camp Crame to the Manila City Jail.

In reply, Ong said the court is the proper venue for such a request, not the DOJ.

In Zamboanga City, the family and supporters of Akbar have expressed satisfaction with the police investigation that resulted in the arrest of the suspects and the filing of charges against them. – With Delon Porcalla, Roel Pareño