Kids find rifle grenade in mangroves in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — Children who collect scraps for a living had an unusual find in the mangroves of Chinatown in Barangay Talon-Talon here on Saturday — a rifle grenade.

Neil Galvez, a Talon-talon councilman, said the kids who were picking empty bottles rushed to him to inform about the explosive they recovered, prompting him to immediately notify the Zamboanga City Police Office.

An explosives and ordnance disposal team was dispatched to the village to take custody of the explosive.

Maj. Edwin Duco, spokesperson of the Zamboanga City police, said the rifle grenade still posed a danger “if it ends up at the wrong hands.”

Maj. Arvin John Encinas, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said the weapon recovered by the children is an M9 rifle grenade which is mounted to an M16 assault rifle.

“This type of rifle grenade is made in the United States and used for anti-tank purposes,” Encinas said.