Regulation of private couriers sought after Quiapo bombings

“There may be a need to regulate the security and screening measures being employed by private and common couriers in rendering services,” detained Sen. Leila de Lima said in filing a resolution seeking a probe into the Quiapo bomb blasts. (Photo: Philippine News Agency)

MANILA–In wake of a series of bombings in Quiapo, Manila, a senator has proposed precautionary measures including a possible need to regulate private couriers to ensure that such incidents won’t happen again.

“There may be a need to regulate the security and screening measures being employed by private and common couriers in rendering services,” detained Sen. Leila de Lima said in filing a resolution seeking a probe into the Quiapo bomb blasts.

De Lima filed Senate Resolution (PSR) 370 to see the capabilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in terms of “the efficiency and effectiveness of intelligence gathering, crime detection and incident response.”

This after National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) C chief Director Oscar Albayalde claimed that an eyewitness identified “a man riding a motorcycle bearing the logo of Grab” as the person who delivered the explosives. Grab later acknowledged that the delivery person was one of their “partners”.

De Lima said that such couriers could be used as a means to commit, not only bombing schemes and other crimes that compromise public order, safety and security, but other acts that endanger public health.

She further said that because the motive and perpetrators behind these bombings have not been fully determined, the regulation of private couriers could help ensure that they are not being used by sinister groups.

Quiapo was recently hit by two separate bombing incidents –the first one was last April 28 where 14 people were injured; and the most recent one was last May 6 which claimed two lives and injured six others.

Local police authorities immediately debunked claims that these were the handiwork of terror groups and maintained that the bombings were feud-related.

De Lima previously filed Senate Bill No. 369, also known as the Criminal Investigation Act of 2016, which seeks to streamline the process of determining which criminal complaints should proceed to trial while eliminating bureaucratic layers that causes delays in the criminal justice process.

She is currently detained in the Philippine National Police Custodial Center for drug trafficking charges. However, she is allowed to continue to file bills in the Senate.