Another witness in last Sunday’s post-Bar examinations explosion surfaced on Friday, claiming he saw a man act suspiciously just before the blast ripped through a crowd mostly composed of law students. In an exclusive report by GMA News’ Julius Segovia on “24 Oras", the witness, a 40-year-old pedicab driver and vendor, asked to be accompanied to San Beda College in Manila, his preferred venue for publicly revealing what he had observed. “Gusto kong sila [San Beda College students] ang unang makarinig ng aking kwento, kung ano ‘yung aking nakita ‘nung panahon na yun. Sila yung may maraming nasugatan, isa sila sa mga biktima," said witness “Roel" (not his real name).
I want San Beda College students to be the first to hear my story of what I had seen at that time. They are among the victim here, many of their students were among the injured.) According to Roel, he was riding his pedicab, going around Taft Avenue near De La Salle University where the Bar exams were held, selling beer in cans, when a man got onboard his pedicab at around 5 p.m. His pedicab was then left parked under the LRT station, he said. Roel said the man was a member of a fraternity, with the fraternity’s name printed on the shirt he was wearing. It was unclear, however, which fraternity he was referring to. "May tao na galing ‘dun sa isang grupo na nagsisigawan, pumasok sa loob ng pedicab ko, tapos mayroon siyang binuksang bag na dala niya," the witness narrated. (A man who came from a group of people who were cheering went inside my pedicab, and opened the bag he was carrying.) He said the man brought out sunglasses, a jacket and a cap, which he then wore.
Roel said he initially thought that the man may have only wanted to avoid getting wet in the post-exam celebrations. He said, however, that he lost track of the suspicious man after a customer bought beer from him. Had he not left to fetch more cans of beer, Roel surmised, he could have been among the explosion’s casualties. At least 47 people were injured in the grenade explosion, believed to have been perpetrated by persons involved in feuding law school fraternities. (See: Cops suspect law frats behind Bar exam blast) Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, however, said the National Bureau of Investigation has yet to ascertain if the explosion was indeed a case of fraternity-related violence. (See: Frat war may not have caused Bar exam violence – NBI) The San Beda College of Law said witnesses like Roel will greatly help in identifying the suspects and resolving the case. "[There are] unidentified persons, they would not want to reveal their identities as of the moment, [who are saying] they can help in the investigation," said Peter Joey Usita, head of the college’s legal aid office.—Jerrie M. Abella/JV
