MANILA – The police on Monday released the facial composites of at least three men allegedly behind the explosion in Cagayan de Oro's Limketkai Center on Friday. At a press conference, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima said investigators now have leads on the identities of the suspects in Friday's explosion which has so far claimed 8 lives. [www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/07/29/13/cdo-blast-death-toll-rises-8] Purisima, however, refused to reveal the identities of the 3 as this may jeopardize the investigation. The police are also investigating several Cagayan de Oro policemen involved in the alleged tampering of the crime scene. Purisima said those policemen involved in the immediate cleaning of the crime scene will be held responsible. "We are checking kung ano talaga ang nangyari, what are the failures on the part of enforcers. Bakit nalinis ang area?" he said. "Ano ang specific na trabaho nila in order for them to justify kung bakit hindi nila napigilan ang paglilinis ng crime scene? Because ang paglilinis ng crime scene, that is obstruction of justice." The immediate clearing of the crime scene has apparently made it harder for police to determine the explosive used in the blast. Police said no shrapnel was found at the crime scene, but doctors were reporting of shrapnel wounds sustained by the victims. "It seems the area has been tampered. We are investigating this kung talagang nangyari. Because sa isang blast area makikita mo yung dapat na makita, life for example, fragments, makikita mo kung paano yung mga blast, paano nasira ang kapaligiran. It is part of our investigation also na sino nag-utos ng pag linis," he said. Nonetheless, Purisima assured the public that it is still doing its best to reconstruct the crime scene and determine the circumstances leading to the blast. In an earlier interview, however, Cagayan de Oro Police chief Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares said crime scene investigation suggests that an 81 mm mortar was used in the blast. Purisima, meanwhile, said the police are also conducting "victimology" in establishing the motive behind the explosion. 8 dead The Philippines ordered troops and police on heightened alert after the blast. Two more victims succumbed to their wounds on Sunday evening and Monday morning. Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares, Cagayan de Oro Police chief, identified one of the latest fatalities as Reynaldo Dalupan, an employee of pharmaceutical company Unilab, who succumbed to his wounds at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. The other fatality was Dr. Marciano Agustin, a resident of Cavite City. Dr. Agustin's death was announced by Dr. Tony Leachon, vice president of Philippine College of Physicians. Prior to the announcement of Dr. Agustin's death, Mijares said at least 16 victims out of the 46 injured are still inside the hospital. The initial set of fatalities in the explosion in Cagayan de Oro's Limketkai Center on Friday were identified as Misamis Oriental board member Roldan Lagbas, medical representatives Anthony Canete, Ryan Etoce and Emmanuel Palafox, Dr. Erwin Malanay, and Antonio Paredes. The doctors and medical representatives were in the city to attend the convention of the Philippine College of Chest Physicians.
