Grenade blasts at three houses of town mayor

SAN JORGE, SAMAR, Philippines — Unidentified men lobbed a grenade at each of the three houses of San Jorge town Mayor Jojo Grey, hurting his close-in police escort and a househelper at around 2 a.m. yesterday.

Senior Inspector Edwin Tolibas, San Jorge Police chief, told The Philippine Star and The Freeman that the perpetrators were seen riding a van (without plate number) when they threw the grenades.

The first exploded at Grey's house at Barangay Aurora, the next one hit his house—occupied by his wife Nancy, the town’s vice mayor—at Barangay Mancol; and the third at the residential compound at Barangay La Paz.

Tolibas said Police Officer 1 Artemio Rebato, the mayor’s security, sustained shrapnel wounds on the abdomen and right leg while the mayor's helper Jimmy Marquez was also hit on the left leg.

Just after the incident, the mayor and his wife, and members of the Grey's family were immediately evacuated by the policemen to the Municipal Hall for their safety, while the investigation was going on.

"Our operatives from the Firearms and Explosives Division of the Police Regional Office-Region 8 have to find out yet what kind of explosives the suspects used. We are waiting for it (results). Rest assured that the entire town police are still on top of the situation," Tolibas said.

The grenade throwing incidents took place after Grey’s political opponent Lester Besnar and helper Jeboy Ronda were seriously wounded in an ambush Friday afternoon at Barangay La Paz. Mayor Grey said the blasts at his houses could be retaliation after his three sons were pointed to as those behind the ambush and shooting of the two victims.

"I am appealing to the police authorities and the military to find out the truth. We are members of Task Force Cagamas tasked to dismantle the private armed groups (PAGs) in Samar, but look we are left behind," said Mayor Grey.

Besnar and Ronda were reportedly supporters of Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan Delos Santos, who after the ambush had asked for an urgent intervention of the police on the incident.

The governor then wrote Senior Superintendent Elmer Pelobello, director of the Samar Police Provincial Office, to facilitate the filing of charges against the five suspects, who were positively identified as those who, riding on a government vehicle, attacked Besnar and Ronda. The police had said three of the assailants were allegedly the sons of  Mayor Grey.

Tolibas however confirmed that Besnar—who contested the candidacy of Grey in the May 2016 elections and was also hurt in an ambush days before the elections—has been in the police drug watch-list and had even surrendered to the local police, under Oplan Tokhang.

Investigators are pursuing a lead on the possible motive in the bombings at the mayor’s houses, but he declined to confirm at this time if the attacks were politically motivated. Tolibas said they are also looking at evidences that will link the sons of the mayor as possible suspects in the attack of Besnar to distort the probe of the ambush, and make it appear they are the victims of their political opponents. (FREEMAN NEWS)