AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros condemned in the strongest terms the bombing that took place inside Batasan complex, calling the attack a horrible assault on the institution itself. “This is not an attack against any individual member of the House of Representatives. This is an appalling attempt to destroy life, freedom and democracy,” Rep. Hontiveros said.
“Nothing can rationalize this act. We urge the authorities to immediately investigate the incident and go after the perpetrators of the bombing,” she added.
She likewise said that whoever planted the bomb wanted to scare the institution and the public in general. “It is meant to injure and scare members of Congress, especially since it was timed immediately after the adjournment of the session,” she said. “Most of the congressmen and women were about to leave Congress. But whatever the agenda or demand may be, this act of desperation would not succeed.”
“We are not scared. And we urged the public not to allow acts of terrorism to cause panic, since this is the motivation behind the act. We need to show to them that the nation is united in condemning the bombing,” Rep. Hontiveros added, offering prayers and solidarity to those who were hurt by the incident. According to initial reports, a driver in Congress died due to the incident.
She also warned against using this incident to threaten democracy. “We cannot help but fear that this would lead to the declaration of Martial Law or a state of emergency to give way to repressive acts. We caution the government against using the bombing to institute repressive measures,” Rep. Hontiveros said.