A basement office at the Bonaventure building in Ortigas Avenue, just across Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan, was rocked by an explosion early morning yesterday. The office is currently being occupied by realty firm LK Global Holdings Corporation.
Based on gathered news reports, police authorities said the bombing may have been personal. It was said that LK Global fired three employees, who were allegedly involved in qualified theft, sometime in April 2012. Said employees were accused of malversation of company funds around P20 million. The blast could be a form of retaliation for their termination, reports said.
Senior Superintendent Rainier Espina, chief of San Juan PNP, dispelled speculation that the bombing could be a terrorist attack. He explained that the grenade was placed at a particular building. If it were a terrorist attack, it should have been placed in a crowded area, he clarified.
According to Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel, the grenade used was of the MK2 type.
Both Laurel and Espina believed it has something to do with the case involving the terminated employees. Though they admitted it’s hard to just speculate, the termination of the three employees, who were involved in qualified theft and said to be detained now in Bulacan jail, is a strong motive for the bombing.
Bonaventure building has no closed-circuit television cameras, so the security personnel, who were on duty at the time of the bombing, have no idea as to who the suspects are and what their motives are. But the security personnel revealed that a list of names of former employees, who were barred from entering the LK-Global office, was handed to them.
There were no injuries or casualties during the bombing, but the main glass door, front glass panels, and concrete walls were damaged, according to reports.
Police authorities assured the public that this should not cause panic among Greenhills shoppers and that there will be a strong police visibility around the area during the Christmas season where it is expected that the mall will be crowded.
