Group in Grepalife attack owns up bombing of Pineda home

The same shadowy group which purportedly bombed a Yuchengco-owned building in Makati claimed responsibility for the Friday morning attack on a mansion of alleged gambling lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda in Lubao, Pampanga. The group Taumbayan at Kawal called up the GMA News Desk and said they attacked Pineda's house as payback for President Arroyo's alleged cheating during the 2004 presidential polls. The incident came eight days after Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez was injured and two of his aides were killed in a suspected bomb attack by unidentified assailants. That blast happened right in front of the Batangas provincial capitol. Among the angles being explored by police officials in the Sanchez case is a purported dispute on jueteng operations in Batangas. In the Pampanga case, police at first refused to comment on reports that the Pineda house was bombed. This changed hours after the incident when some police officials acknowledged that there was indeed an explosion in the area. Senior Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Pampanga police chief, said local law enforcers were still trying to get to the bottom of the matter. "It was a small improvised explosive thrown near the gate. We are looking for witnesses who can shed light on the incident," GMA 7's DZBB quoted Espina as saying. They did not mention jueteng as a possible motive for the bombing, instead saying that it could have been an act of revenge by an unidentified man who had an earlier argument with a security guard of the Pinedas. Espina said incumbent Lubao Mayor Dennis Pineda's anti-drug campaign may also have had something to do with the bombing. The elder Pineda, a former mayor of Lubao and an alleged operator of the jueteng illegal numbers game, has been closely associated with Mrs. Arroyo. Both the President and Pineda trace their roots to Lubao. Unidentified men threw the explosive at the mansion gates, causing some damage. No injuries were reported. Mayor Dennis Pineda continues to reside at the mansion after his father moved to another home. The Pineda family did not immediately issue a statement. Taumbayan at Kawal GMA News Desk personnel received the call from a woman who identified herself as "Bambi," a purported member of the group. The caller said they launched the attack in Lubao because Pineda channeled funds into Mrs. Arroyo's campaign kitty. Pineda's actions, the caller said, was among the reasons why the Filipino masses continue to suffer. The phone caller refused to provide details about the explosion. She acknowledged that they were the same people behind last Tuesday’s bombing of the Grepalife building of the Yuchengco family, owner of embattled insurance firm Pacific Plans Inc. (PPI). Shortly after the Grepalife incident, the Taumbayan at Kawal issued a statement saying the Yuchengcos should be punished for allegedly failing to deliver on their promise of educational insurance for the children of their subscribers. The blast damaged the ground floor of the building, littering Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue with glass shards and debris. Pacific Plans is a pre-need company currently under rehabilitation and has engaged its former subscribers in a legal battle. Makati police, however, were not keen on immediately accepting the claims by the shadowy group at that time. "Pwedeng nagwawalang lalaki o baka problema ng may-ari ng Pacific Plans at magulang," said Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, Makati police director last Tuesday.-GMANews.TV