8 injured in grenade explosion

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—A fragmentation grenade tossed by one of two men onboard a motorcycle exploded inside the public market in Midsayap town, North Cotabato province, on Monday night, wounding at least eight people.

“The victims were market vendors who were closing shop at the time of the blast,” Senior Insp. Henry Narciso, deputy police chief, said. Witnesses saw the grenade hurled at the fish stalls around 8:40 p.m. while the town was experiencing power interruption, he said.

Narciso said police investigators were looking at rivalry among fish vendors or sabotage by “companions” of persons involved in car theft cases as motive for the attack.

“We have so many arrested persons involved in car theft, their companions might have retaliated,” he said. “But the rivalry issue is the likely motive.”

Bystanders, policemen and local officials brought the victims to the hospital. Wounded were Kryza Jane Torrejas, 13; Virginia Cablas, 56; Quintin Trastisa, 32; Anne Pocapotan, 14; Paula Angelie Masicampo, 20; Rodrigo Cataytay, 31; Bernie Cuerpo, 22; and Charles Monsanto Guhitia, 22.

Cablas said she heard a loud thud seconds before the blast. The grenade landed right beside Guhitia, who was sitting in one of the stalls, Narciso said.

Guhitia suffered shrapnel wounds in the head and was brought to Davao City for treatment. Edwin O. Fernandez and Williamor Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao