Suspect denies hand in DLSU blast

The suspect in last Sunday’s blast that injured more than 40 people near the De La Salle University campus in Manila has denied involvement in the crime. Jed Carlo Lazaga, a 4th year law student of the University of San Jose Recoletos Law School in Cebu province, also accused members of Tau Gamma Phi fraternity of mugging him on suspicion that he was the one responsible for the blast. In a one-page affidavit complaint submitted to the Manila Police District (MPD), Lazaga said he was in Manila as part of his school’s team supporting their graduates who were taking the Bar examinations at the DLSU. "I was on my way to West Burgundy Tower in Vito Cruz to check the school’s service bus for our examinees when suddenly I was choked from behind by a member of the Tau Gamma Fraternity who was wearing an orange shirt and I was forcibly brought to their booth," said Lazaga, a member of the Alpha Kappa Rho fraternity. He said the group then dragged him to a nearby police precinct where he claimed to have been "punched by several members of the Tau Gamma Fraternity." He said there were no policemen at the precinct at the time. "They also forced me to admit that I had any participation in the said incident when in truth and in fact, I had none," Lazaga said.

He also accused the group of taking away his earrings and wallet that contained three ATM cards, P1,500 cash and other important documents. "As a result of which I sustained physical injuries in my left ear area where they forcibly tore my earrings, pains on my cheek and abdominal area because of the slaps and fist blows they have inflicted on me," Lazaga said. He said the Tau Gamma members left the station after a policeman came. An official of the University of San Jose Recoletos Law School who submitted Lazaga's affidavit to the MPD likewise denied Lazaga’s involvement in the violence. "I want to clarify reports branding our student Carlo Lazaga to be a suspect in last Sunday’s blast. In fact we believe he was innocent. He was even ganged up by a group of men and even robbed him of his belongings, including his wallet," said Ethan Bathan, the school’s assistant dean who is also Lazaga's counsel. Bathan said the MPD even explained to them that the investigation is still ongoing. "The MPD said that [the reports are] still premature as their investigation was still ongoing. I appeal to the media to be careful in reporting their facts," he said. A witness identified only as Joel on Monday told GMA News that he saw Lazaga plant a fragmentation grenade just as when the examinees were coming out of DLSU at the end of the exams. He said they were able to identify Lazaga through the identification card found in his wallet. MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo said they are now closely monitoring the University Belt area to avert any untoward incident that may arise following the explosion at DLSU. “That's why we are being careful with regard to releasing information on this matter because we do not want to further aggravate the situation, especially that allegedly those might be involved were from different members of fraternities," he said. Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla, MPD director, has ordered for an intensified police visibility in Manila to maintain the peace and order. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV