Jakarta, ThedailyID — An improvised explosive device detonated near the Philippine Department of Justice early on Monday, July 27, just hours before authorities discovered another suspected bomb near the Senate building.
The explosion occurred shortly after midnight. It caused property damage but no casualties.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was scheduled to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) later that day.
National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said investigators believe the two incidents may be connected.
“There is a strong possibility that these incidents are related,” Nartatez told reporters.
He said police had prepared security plans to address bomb threats and other potential attacks. However, the device outside the Justice Department still exploded.
Police have not determined the strength of the blast.
“We are still investigating, so we cannot yet say whether the explosion was large or small,” Manila Police spokesperson Philipp Ines told AFP.
Photos published by Philippine media showed a vehicle with a cracked windshield and scattered debris near the blast site.
Later that morning, a tow truck driver spotted a suspicious device on a road beside the Senate building. The driver immediately alerted security personnel.
Bomb disposal officers secured several items from the scene, including a blasting cap, a clock, and a container filled with brown powder for forensic testing.
Regional police spokesperson Hazel Asilo declined to estimate how powerful the device might have been.
The incidents came as political tensions continued to rise in the Philippines.
Vice President Sara Duterte is facing impeachment proceedings, while the government is also dealing with a corruption scandal involving alleged fraudulent flood-control projects.
Police are continuing to investigate both incidents and have not identified any suspects.
