2 hurt in grenade blast outside bank in Masbate City

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NAGA CITY, Philippines—A grenade exploded just outside of a branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) in Masbate City early Sunday, wounding two persons, police said.

The bank’s security guard, Ian Irene, 33, and a scavenger, Charlie Basas, 53, sustained injuries from the shrapnel of the exploding grenade thrown by a motorcycle-riding man in front of the bank on Quezon Street, Barangay (village) Centro, Masbate City, at around 2:51 a.m. Sunday, said Police Officer 3 Zandro Cabintoy, public information officer of the Masbate Provincial Police Office.

Police Officer 2 Ian Mark Antiporda, the case investigator of the Masbate City police, said Irene was wounded in the right knee while Basas, who was foraging through a garbage pile near the bank when the explosion happened, was slightly wounded on the right eyebrow.

Cabintoy said the explosion also slightly damaged a Toyota Adventure, a Toyota Rav-4 and an armored vehicle parked in front of the bank. The bank’s galvanized roll-up door at the main entrance was also damaged by the blast, he added.

Cabintoy said a certain Noel Ytac, a tricycle driver, reported the blast to the police and also assisted in taking the victims to the Masbate Provincial Hospital, also located in the city.

Quoting Irene’s statement, Antiporda said the grenade thrower was riding a black Kawasaki Rouser motorcycle and could not be identified as he was wearing a full-faced helmet and a black jacket.

Antiporda some pieces of the grenade shrapnel recovered from the scene had been brought to the Masbate Police Crime Laboratory for examination.