Critics call hasty the finding that gas build-up caused blast

Manila: Critics say a police finding that accumulated gas caused a blast in a shopping mall in Makati City on October 19 killing 11 people two weeks ago is hasty.

However, the government of President Gloria Arroyo has supported the finding of the Philippine National Police, which has ruled out a terrorism angle to the explosion in the basement of Glorietta 2 mall.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita had said that the government is relieved that the blast was not an act of terrorism.

"As chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council, [I say] it's a good thing that it was not attributed to terrorists. [If it were a terror act] it will affect our economy, our standing in the world community," Ermita told reporters.

Police have not yet released their final report on the blast, but have ruled out a bomb as the cause. There were now looking into other possible causes.

Ayala Land which owns Glorietta Mall has questioned the police report. "We hope that they will also make public the separate reports of the other agencies so that we can better understand their specific evidence," an Ayala Land spokesman said.