Marcos launches hunt for bombing suspects

Press, 23 October 1980, Page 7

Marcos launches hunt for bombing suspects

1 NZPA-Reuter Manila; : The Philippines Govern-! ;ment, stil smarting from al bomb attack which scuttled: la huge tourism conference, jhas delivered arrest orders! ;to the bedside of a veteran; !opponent who was himself! the victim of a 1971 blast,! i but the officer concerned did! (not serve them. j A former senator, Jovito (Salonga, one of 30 people named by President Ferdi(nand Marcos on Monday as !suspects in a current bombling campaign, said he was shown his arrest order in ‘the hospital room where he lhad been admitted for asthma treatment. ! Mr Salonga said that, the colonel who reluctantly, showed him the arrest, search and seizure order told hm he felt he did not want to worsen his condition by serving the order. "He just showed it to me,” he said. Asked if he inferred that it was not served, the former senator said: “Well, he took it back. I don’t know whether my reading it meant service on me.” He said the colonel’ left shortly afterwards, apparently to consult his superiors. A security guard outside the door told reporters who were asked to leave that Mr Salonga was under arrest.

While the hunt for other suspects was apparently continuing, President Marcos told reporters that he had issued the orders as “preventive detention” and said that he would withdraw his plan to lift martial law next March if the bombings continue.

The latest bomb on Sunday night exploded in the presence of the 63-year-old leader. It prompted the organisers to all but abandon the meeting. The congress of the American Society of Travel Agents formally ended yesterday, four days ahead of schedule.

Two Opposition leaders, Salvador Laurel and Gerardo Roxas, told a foreign correspondents’ meeting yesterday that they felt the. President had over-reacted in issuing the arrest orders.

According to. Mr Laurel, another former senator, this was “simply because the bomb exploded in his presence.”