TWO SERENDRA INVESTIGATION

Kaligtasan, Katiyakan
Department of the Interior and Local Government

On May 31, 2013, at approximately 7:59 PM, an explosion took place in Unit 501-B, Two Serendra Condominiums, located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

The following presents the initial ndings of the Inter-agency Task Force investigating the incident
NCRPO ORD RID Bomb Squad Southern Police District Taguig City police DSRU EOD K9 District Investigation Division National Bureau of Investigation Philippine Army CIDG-NCR Department of Science and Technology Department of Energy Department of Health Department of Public Works and Highways Bureau of Fire Protection IATF Taguig Fire Marshall District Ofce BFP HQ Taguig City LGU Taguig Rescue Crime Laboratory SOCO

A. WAS IT A BOMB OR NOT?

INVESTIGATIONS AND FINDINGS

I. K9 Unit Walkthrough II. Walkthrough by SOCO, SPD-EOD, NCRPO-EOD and Taguig CPS-EOD III. SOCO Swabs IV. NBI Post Blast Investigation V. Bureau of Fire Protection Post Fire Investigation

I. K9 Unit Walkthrough
At 8:30 PM, SRU/Bomb Squad, SPD with two bomb-snifng dogs under PCINSP Ariel Bait arrived at the scene. At 9:00 PM, NCRPO K9 unit with three bomb snifng dogs under PSI Leonie Ann Apaling, and their handlers arrived at the scene. At 9:15 PM, Philippine Army K9 unit, with four bomb snifng dogs and their handlers arrived at the scene. At 10:30 PM, wide area panelling concluded.

BPI

Market Market

Island 153 Meters

Section A Playground 75 Meters

Origin of Explosion Two Serendra Market Market Parking Lot McKinley Parkway Street Playground near the Swimming Pool of Function room

Parthway 138 Meters

70 Meters
Stop Light

254 Meters

SM Aura

BPI

Market Market

Island 153 Meters

Section A Playground 75 Meters

Origin of Explosion Two Serendra Market Market Parking Lot McKinley Parkway Street Playground near the Swimming Pool of Function room

Parthway 138 Meters

70 Meters
Stop Light

254 Meters

SM Aura

1 K9 - Southern Police District 1 K9 - National Capital Region Police Ofce

BPI

Market Market

4 Philippine Army k9 Unit 2 K9 - Southern Police District

Section A Playground 75 Meters

Island 153 Meters

Origin of Explosion Two Serendra Market Market Parking Lot McKinley Parkway Street Playground near the Swimming Pool of Function room

Parthway 138 Meters

70 Meters
Stop Light

254 Meters

SM Aura

1 K9 - Southern Police District 1 K9 - National Capital Region Police Ofce

2 K9 - Southern Police District 3 K9 - National Capital Region Police Ofce

BPI Market Market

4 Philippine Army K9 Unit 2 K9 - Southern Police District

Section A Playground 75 Meters

Island 153 Meters

Origin of Explosion Two Serendra Market Market Parking Lot McKinley Parkway Street Playground near the Swimming Pool of Function room

Parthway 138 Meters

70 Meters
Stop Light

254 Meters

SM Aura

1 K9 - Southern Police District 1 K9 - National Capital Region Police Ofce

RESULTS OF WALKTHROUGH WITH K9 UNIT

All nine K9 bomb-snifng dogs from the different kennels did NOT manifest the presence of any explosive materials or residue.

II. Walkthrough by SOCO, SPD-EOD, NCRPO-EOD and Taguig CPS-EOD

No sightings of bomb components (e.g. shrapnel, blasting caps, timers, etc.).

III. SOCO Swabs

Took 61 swabs inside Unit 501-B and 76 swabs from the 3 concrete slabs that were thrown off the unit. Note: Swabs were tested using Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrophotometer which can detect RDX, PETN, TNT, TATP and other organic explosives.

All swabs yielded NEGATIVE results for presence of bomb residue.

IV. BFP Post-re Investigation

In their post-re investigation (walk-through and sifting through debris and rubble in all areas within the yellow-taped crime scene), the BFPs ndings indicate that despite the presence of re, charring and singeing, neither bomb components nor a crater was found or detected.

V. NBI-EOD Post Blast Investigation

In their post-blast investigation (walkthrough and sifting through debris and rubble in all areas within the yellow-taped crime scene), no seat of explosion or crater nor bomb components (power supply, switch, containers, wires, detonators) were found onsite. Note: Craters are indicative of explosions caused by bombs.

Therefore, in view of the foregoing, the explosion was NOT caused by a bomb, whether improvised or manufactured.

B. PERSONS INVOLVED

As of June 6, 2013, RID and CIDG Investigators interviewed 60 people and took 53 sworn statements.

Occupants/Tenants Security Personnel-Ayala, Taguig City Police First Responders-Taguig Fire Rescue, Ambulance Personnel Renovation workers Meter readers Blast witnesses/motorists outside Two Serendra

Angelito San Juan

age: 63 years old holder of US Alien Resident Card based in the US (on and off for the last 40
years) no known criminal history in the US

He is currently in the ICU of St. Lukes Hospital, Taguig. Per Dr. Dela Pena, General Surgeon of St. Lukes: He is suffering from 2nd degree burns covering 72% of total body surface. He is conscious, but under sedation and intubated. We have police eyewitness testimony and a video from his brother showing that Mr. San Juan is currently unable to communicate.

Marianne Cayton-Castillo
the owner of Unit 501-B, Two Serendra based in the U.S. initial reports stated that George Cayton, her
father, was the owner of the unit.

Note: Marianne Cayton-Castillo, through her aunt Herminia Ochoa, agreed to allow Herminias friend Angelito San Juan to stay in the unit.

Herminia Espana Ochoa

age: 63 years old resident of Pasig City aunt of Marianne Cayton Castillo batchmate of Angelito San Juan who asked her niece Marianne if Angelito can stay in the unit. designated caretaker of the unit

TIMELINE OF ANGELITO SAN JUANS MOVEMENTS

Note: Based on the sworn statement of Herminia Ochoa. The interview was conducted by SP01 Razel V. Gaspar in St. Lukes Hospital, Taguig City, at 10:55 AM on June 2, 2013, in front of PO1 Amado Biete and SPO1 Alberto Sombilon.

MAY 31, 2013:

5:55 AM: Angelito San Juan arrives from the US at Terminal 2, NAIA. Ms. Herminia Ochoa and he, together with other companions, proceed to McDonalds, Bonifacio Global City. 6:55 AM: Mr. San Juan arrives at Two Serendra with Ms. Herminia Ochoa. Discovering that the unit did not have water, food and other basic necessities, Mr. San Juan departs Two Serendra with Ms. Ochoa, and proceeds to the latters residence in Pasig City.

MAY 31, 2013:

1:27 PM: Mr. San Juan returns to Two Serendra. 2:00 PM: Mr. San Juan sent a text message to Ms. Ochoa, saying, There is no power here. He verbally informed her that only the electric fan is functioning in the unit (the building scheduled a limited power period from 8 AM to 6 PM for maintenance). 6:49 PM: Ms. Ochoa texted Mr. San Juan, Leaving house na ako see you in the lobby within 15 minutes to remind him of their dinner reservations. He did not reply to her texts, even when she sent a message saying that she was in the front lobby.

MAY 31, 2013:

7:49 PM: Ms. Ochoa is accompanied by two security guards of Two Serendra to Unit 501-B. Mr. San Juan answered, and opened the door. He said that he would just put his shoes and polo shirt on. Ms. Ochoa said that she would wait for him in the car. Ms. Ochoa and the two security guards descend to the ground oor; Ms. Ochoa went to her vehicle to wait for Mr. San Juan, while the security guards returned to their assigned duties. 7:59 PM: Explosion takes place while Ms. Ochoa is in the car.

In view of the foregoing, given the information presently at hand, it appears that the behavior of Mr. San Juan and related parties (Ochoa, Cayton-Castillo) were normal.

C. IF ITS NOT A BOMB, WHAT WAS IT?

THE LAYOUT

Mc Kinley Parkway

8" 7" 6"

501" 503" 505" 506"

5" 3" 2" 1"

306"

PIPING SYSTEM OF LPG OF TOWER B

McKinley)Parkway)

501B%

Building B

McKinley)Parkway)

Location of LPG meter assembly cabinets

TYPICAL$GAS$METER$ASSEMBLY$
Lever$ Arm$ 7.0$psi$ Downline!Pipe:! 1$in$$

Riser:! 1$$in$$

0.4!psi!

Pipe!to!Unit:! $in$$

max$0.4$psi$

3D model of the Building B, 5th oor

Unit 501-B before renovation

Unit 501-B after renovation

THE BLAST

McKinley)Parkway)

501B%

Unit 501-B after the blast explosion

Unit 501-B after the blast explosion

Unit 501-B after the blast explosion

ANALYSIS OF THE BLAST

Explosions of this magnitude can be caused by a number of factors, e.g., lightning, gasoline and other liquid hydrocarbon explosions and combustion or reaction (spontaneous or intentional) of chemical substances (gases).

There was no reported lightning at the time. Liquid hydrocarbons (gasoline, diesel, kerosene) would require a
container, and given the magnitude of the explosion, it would have to be a large container. There were no indications of such a container at the site.

Given the foregoing, the explosion is most likely to have been caused by combustion or reaction of chemical substances (gases).

There are more than a hundred known chemical substances (gases) that could explode or are ammable. Examples of these are argon, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, acetylene, methane, and others. However, all these are not commonly found in abundant quantities in residences or condominiums. In the case of Two Serendra, they would have had to be brought in. Moreover, all of the foregoing, which are commonly stored under high pressure, are contained in steel cylinder tanks. The walkthroughs by the investigating agencies did not reveal any such cylinder tanks.

GAS EXPLOSION CHARACTERISTICS

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Minimal post explosion residue No blast cratering Instantaneously dissipated ame Minimal charring Powerful and widespread pressure wave Almost instantaneous explosion covering a large area

Given the dimensions of Unit 501 (7.55m x 6.90m x 2.20 m) the following values were calculated Given$the$dimensions$of$Unit$501$(7.55m$x$6.90m$x$2.20$m)$the$following$values$were$
calculated ! LEL! UEL! Percent!(%)! 2.00$ 10.00$ Volume!of! propane!gas!(L)! 2,292.18$ 11,460.90$ Energy!(kJ)! 203,000$ 1,040,000$

The weight of the concrete slab that was dislodged during the explosion is given as 3,700kg. Assuming the bolt reinforcement of the slab to the columns is rated at 10,000kg, the Force and Energy needed to push the block horizontally by 25m is:

W=Fd =134,260N25m =3,356 kJ

RECENT%GAS%EXPLOSION%INCIDENTS% $ Date% Loca)on%

September%9,%2010% San$Bruno,$California$

June%17,%2011% November%10,%2012%

Turkey$ Richmond$Hill,$ Indianapolis$ Springeld,$ MassachuseLs$ Prague,$Czech$Republic$ Tinsley,$Sheeld,$UK$ New$York$City$

November%23,%2012% April%29,%2013% May%29,%2013% June%4,%2013%

Remarks% House.$4$people$dead,$ 53$homes$burned$down,$ 120$homes$damaged$ 1$dead,$Petrol$StaDon$ compound$ House.$IntenDonal$leak$ and$explosion.$2$dead,$ 20$injured$ Building.$42$other$ buildings$were$damaged$ Townhouse$ House$ Nyack$College.$7$injured.$ Damaged$steel$pipe.$

For Two Serendra, the gas that is most readily available and does not require a specialized container is LPG. Two Serendra uses a centralized pipe-in LPG system.

In view of all of the foregoing, the blast was consistent with a gas explosion, most likely LPG. We are continuing our investigations as to the timeline and sequence of events and will give updates accordingly.

THANK YOU.

Two Serendra Inter-agency Task Force

NCRPO ORD RID Bomb Squad Southern Police District Taguig City police DSRU EOD K9 District Investigation Division National Bureau of Investigation Philippine Army CIDG-NCR Department of Science and Technology Department of Energy Department of Health Department of Public Works and Highways Bureau of Fire Protection IATF Taguig Fire Marshall District Ofce BFP HQ Taguig City LGU Taguig Rescue Crime Laboratory SOCO