1 dead, 13 hurt in PNPA training blast
By Maricar Cinco, Abigail Kwok
Southern Luzon Bureau, INQUIRER.net
First Posted 22:55:00 11/10/2008
Filed Under: Accidents (general), Police
SAN PEDRO, Laguna -- (UPDATE 3) An instructor at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), Silang Cavite, was killed and 13 trainees hurt Monday when a rifle grenade "prematurely or accidentally" exploded during a training of the Special Action Force (SAF) around 4:30 p.m., officials said.
The victim, identified as Police Officer 2 Maño Rexel Carido, 32, a SAF instructor, was dead on arrival at the hospital, said Senior Inspector Michael Batoctoy, deputy police chief at the Silang Municipal Police Office.
Initial police reports said 13 commando trainees were injured in the blast. They were brought to the Adventist University of the Philippines hospital.
Bactotoy said over the phone that the incident was still under investigation.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, SAF director Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago Jr. said Carido was hit in the chest by shrapnel, which caused his death.
Santiago also said that the incident was a “freak accident.”
“This type of accident happened for the first time. In fact, the other commando classes simultaneously training have already finished their familiarization firing,” he added.
Following the incident, however, Santiago banned SAF personnel from using their issued rifled grenades pending the result of the investigation into the incident.
In a separate interview with INQUIRER.net in Manila, Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) regional police chief, identified the 12 of the 13 as Inspector Frederick Sa-Ao, 27; PO2 Joel Jose Cacal, 27; PO2 Andy Boy Moya, 29; PO1 Junjun Paray, 27; PO1 Dennis Labrador, 30;
PO1 Jacky Quirod, 29; PO1 Robert Tabuoria, 31; PO1 Dennis Aldueza, 28; PO1 Melchor Molzes, 29; PO1 Ronald Antonio Abbarlao, 27; PO1 Gerald Alusta, 27; and PO1 Paulino Doyola, 29.
As of posting time, those injured were released from the hospital and returned to the SAF to continue their training although some would be placed on light duty following the accident, Santiago said.
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