Senate of the Philippines. Photo courtesy of PNA.
The Senate will strengthen security measures after authorities recovered a suspected improvised explosive device near its premises on Monday morning, hours before lawmakers opened the second regular session of the 20th Congress.
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Alfred Corpus said the suspicious package was discovered about 150 meters from the Senate gate at around 8 a.m. by personnel of a towing truck, who alerted police after noticing wires and other unusual components inside the box.
Authorities said the package contained a battery, a clock, a commercial blasting cap and brown powder, prompting an immediate security response and inspection of the area.
Following the incident, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian directed the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms to further tighten security across the Senate complex.
Corpus said additional security personnel would be deployed while inspections of people and vehicles entering the premises would be intensified.
Gatchalian condemned what he described as an apparent attempt to create fear on the day of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address, stressing that the incident would not disrupt the Senate’s work.
He also urged law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and determine the motive behind the incident.
Authorities said no injuries were reported, while Gatchalian thanked responding police officers for their swift action and appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to the proper authorities.