House in Iloilo subdivision damaged in grenade attack

ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Unidentified persons lobbed three grenades tied together inside a subdivision here early Tuesday, damaging a house and a car but causing no injuries, police said.

Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, Iloilo City police director, said the explosion occurred around 3 a.m. in front of the residence of Ramon Espia at Dolmax Subdivision in the city’s in Jaro District.

Espia was not in his residence and family members who were awakened by the explosion thought it was a large firecracker. They discovered the damage at 7:20 a.m. and reported the incident to the police.

Valerio said the explosive device consisted of a hand grenade, a rifle grenade and a round for M203 grenade launcher.

“The hand grenade explosion triggered the explosion of the two other grenades,” Valerio told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

The explosion damaged the steel gate of the Espia residential compound and a parked car on the driveway.

Investigators were still trying to determine the identities and the motives of those behind the attack.  Valerio said one of the angles they were pursuing was the involvement of Espia in an alleged case of indiscriminate firing during the New Year festivities.

Police had earlier filed complaints of illegal discharge of firearm and alarm and scandal against Espia for allegedly firing a licensed gun on January 1.