MANILA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- A leader of rebel Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in the Philippines' southern province of Basilan Wednesday denied that the group was responsible for the explosion that occurred in the congress complex Tuesday night and killed three people including Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.

    "We are not responsible for the bombing in Congress," said Kumander Noth Mudalam, ASG commander in Basilan, reported Philippine television network ABS-CBN.

    The explosion took place at about 8:15 p.m. local time (1215 GMT) Tuesday while congressmen were going out of the House after the session adjournment, at the southern wing of Batasan Pambansa, the Congress complex, in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila. Three persons were killed in the blast, including a lawmaker from the southern Philippines.

    Mudalam said his group has no reason to target Akbar. He also denied that Abdul Mushaf (spelled as "Abu Musa" in earlier reports), who claimed through cellphone text messages that ASG was behind the blast, is a member of the group.

    A man, by the name of Abdul Mushaf, alleged himself as an ASG member and claimed early Wednesday morning that the group is responsible for the deadly blast.

    Police echoed Mudalam's denial, saying that a check on their records showed that Abdul Mushaf is not part of the ASG.

    "We have verified that there is no ASG member by that name," General Avelino Razon Jr., chief of the Philippine National Police.

    The police had said the congress explosion was caused by a cellphone-detonated bomb attached into a motorcycle.

    "We already found parts of the bomb and it was detonated by a cellphone," Director Geary Barias, chief of the National Capital Region Police office, adding that the police have subjected to questioning a cameraman of the House of Representatives who owns one of the two wrecked motorcycles that are suspected of being used in the bombing.

    The police official, however, clarified that cameraman Cesar Padlan is not a suspect. He said Padlan voluntarily told them that he owns one of the recovered motorcycles, ABS-CBN reported.

    Metro Manila, the Philippine capital region, has been placed on full alert following the blast. Security around the Senate has particularly been increased.

    Razon said the alert status will give police the means to "generate warm bodies that will man checkpoints" and increase security measures for vital installations of the government.

    Philippine House Speaker Jose de Venecia, who was certain that the bombing was deliberate, said congressmen will continue working on Wednesday, "unless the PNP says otherwise."

    Razon said the police wouldn't want to hamper the House's legislative work. He said the blast site investigation will continue while congressmen are on session.