Grenade lobbed into Carcar official's house

CEBU, Philippines - The terrace of the house of Carcar City administrator Edgardo Oca, 52, in barangay Bolinawan, Carcar, was damaged after unidentified men threw a hand grenade about 1:40 a.m. yesterday. No one was reported injured.

SPO1 Joel Pananganan said that Oca was awakened by the loud explosion coming from the second story of their house and he went to check. He reported finding the safety lever of a grenade on the floor and called for police assistance.

The lever recovered was brought to the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory in Camp Sotero Cabahug.

Oca also reported seeing two men on a black Honda XRM motorcycle without a license plate number hurriedly leaving the area after the blast.

   Oca, a former city councilor said he does not have personal enemies.

Chief Insp. Ali Baron said Oca’s active involvement in strict meat inspection in the market and the demolition of vending stalls in the Carcar Rotunda may be possible motives behind the attack.

“Wa mi nakita nga naa siya’y personal nga problema, it’s either sa inspection sa karne sa merkado or sa demolition kay active man siya as sinaligan sad sa mayor,” Baron said.

 All vendors in the rotunda who were affected by the demolition for easement of the road were given notice of demolition from the city government last year, but the demolition was only implemented last month.

Baron said angry words were said against Oca but there has not been any physical violence so far.

“If naa may reklamo verbal lang, unya recorded gyud na sa blotter tanan,” he said.

   Cebu Provincial Police Office officer-in-charge Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said he has been providing Special Reaction Unit teams in the area since the start of the demolition in case of chaos.

“I expect nga naa gyud nay kagubot kay duna’y demolition nga gipahigayon aside from slight political bickerings,” Comendador said. — /BRP (FREEMAN)