TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Philippine authorities are investigating two suspected bomb incidents near government buildings in Manila and Pasay on Monday, July 27, hours before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
A homemade bomb exploded near the entrance of the Department of Justice in Manila shortly after midnight, but no casualties were reported. Hours later, security personnel discovered a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) near the Philippine Senate building in Pasay.
Authorities Probe Possible Link
The Senate's Special Security Unit found the suspicious object during a routine inspection at around 8 a.m. local time. A bomb disposal team from the Pasay Police later neutralized the device.
Philippine National Police Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators were looking into a possible connection between the two incidents.
"There is a big possibility or probability that the two (incidents) are related," Nartatez told reporters.
Manila police spokesman Philipp Ines said authorities were still assessing the scale of the earlier explosion.
"We are still investigating, so we cannot give you details on how massive or small the explosion was," he told AFP.
The Department of Justice said the situation was under control and its complex remained secure. "An investigation is ongoing to determine the source, type, and circumstances surrounding the explosion," the ministry said.
Around 20,000 police personnel were deployed to maintain security during Marcos' fifth State of the Nation Address in Quezon City, according to the Philippine News Agency.
The incidents occurred amid heightened political tensions in the Philippines, including Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial and a corruption scandal involving alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
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