"Shock ate them up. Most of them didn’t know what to do and were just staring at the bloodied victims," Rep. Joel Villanueva said, remembering the look on the faces of the security officers.

SECURITY personnel of the House of Representatives are so ill prepared to handle emergencies that some of its members were among the first to panic when a bomb exploded at the South Wing lobby of the Batasan complex on Tuesday night.

Rep. Joel Villanueva of the party list group Cibac yesterday recalled how some members of the Legislative Security Bureau under Brig. Gen. (ret.) Bayani Fabic reeled in terror when they saw people sprawled and bloodied on the floor after the explosion.

The LSB is in charge of the securing the whole Batasan building.

"Shock ate them up. Most of them didn’t know what to do and were just staring at the bloodied victims," he said, remembering the look on the faces of the security officers.

The blast killed Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar and three employees and wounded at least 10, including Reps. Henry Teves of Negros Oriental and Luzviminda Ilagan of the party list group Gabriela.

Teves, who sustained shrapnel wounds and major burns in his face and body, and Ilagan are confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

Teves, who sustained shrapnel wounds and major burns in his face and body, and Ilagan are confined at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

Fabic said he understands the sentiments of those who are blaming the whole House security force.

"We are open to criticisms," he said, noting more measures are being undertaken to beef up security.

Villanueva was among the few House members who helped bring the victims to hospitals.

"Takot ako sa dugo pero nung nakita ko na yung mga biktima na duguan at humihingi sa amin ng tulong, tumulong na kami dalhin sila sa ospital," he said.

Villanueva said pages of the House plenary bureau were the ones who secured them when they left the plenary to find out what happened upon hearing the blast.

He urged Fabic to re-assess the performance of the LSB.

Reps. Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora and Darlene Antonino-Custodio of South Cotabato also helped, using their own vehicles to bring the victims to hospitals in the absence of an ambulance.

For Rep. Janette Garin of Iloilo, it was her physician’s instinct.

"Any doctor, I don’t know pero sa pagkakaintindi ko, karamihan naman sa mga doctor, you would be more happy and proud to be a doctor than a politician," she said.

Garin had tried to revive Maan Gale Bustalino, a member of Teves’ staff, who died at the Capitol Medical Center.

Media center staff members Garry Agoncillo and Mads Labog had to leave their posts to help carry victims.

"Nakita ko na kailangan talaga ang tulong namin kaya sabi ko tara tumakbo na tayo duon," Agoncillo said as he remembered seeing the bare shinbone and open flesh of one of the victims.

Labog, a brother of newspaper reporter Juliet Labog-Javellana, said: "Ginawa namin ang dapat. Nakakalungkot lang na talaga na may mga namatay pa."

While the PNP recalled elements of the Police Security and Protection Office (PSPO) and reinstalled members of the Special Action Force to secure the Batasan perimeter area, Speaker Jose de Venecia formed a three-man special committee to review security arrangement.

The special panel is composed of Arthur Celeste, chairman of the committee on national defense; Rodolfo Antonino, chairman of the committee on public order and security; and Roilo Golez, former national security adviser who represents the minority bloc.

Golez said the House must be given full control of its security force similar to the Presidential Security Group of Malacañang and the airport security force.

"What we need is a group trained for guarding perimeter security," he said, noting the SAF’s training is more on specialized assault.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson blamed the "lack of preventive security measures" and "carelessness of the House’s security" for the incident.

Director Geary Barias, chief of the Metro Manila police, recommended a separate probe body for the security lapses at the House complex.

First, he said, some of the security cameras around the Batasan complex were not focused properly, like the one mounted at the gates and at the lobby. One of the cameras, he said, was even focused on a light.

He said the security camera at the gates had limited coverage, explaining the lack of footage on vehicles coming in and going out of the complex after the explosion.

"Security measures must be reviewed and corrective measures must also be in place," Barias said.

He said there were no bomb-sniffing dogs, in-house medical team, water for fire trucks, emergency alarm system, and security cameras at entrance and exit points.

Even the parking system was chaotic, said Joson. 

SOURCE: MALAYA by Wendell Vigilia with Jojo de Guzman