FOILED ATTACK. A member of the police bomb disposal unit points to a live fragmentation grenade lobbed at the compound of the Compact Construction and Development Co. in Cotabato City on Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2019). Officials of the construction firm maintained that they have no known enemies. (Photo courtesy of CCPO)
COTABATO CITY -- Police deactivated a live grenade found at the compound of a big construction firm here Wednesday.
Capt. Rustom Pastolero, city police station 2 chief, said they received a call at about 3 p.m. from the Compact Construction and Development Co. in Barangay Rosary Heights 5, asking for assistance following the discovery of an M61 grenade near their front fence by a roving security guard.
“Immediately, we proceeded to the area and found the unexploded grenade on the ground with its defective striker lever hanging loosely,” Pastolero said.
He said the police bomb disposal team, led by Senior MSgt. Jerry Macion, safely disarmed the grenade.
“Though old and stained, the grenade is still very much active,’ Macion said.
He said the hammer of the grenade’s striker lever malfunctioned, that is why it did not explode. Police probers have yet to establish the motive behind the foiled grenade attack.
Last August, unidentified armed men on board a motorcycle ambushed and injured engineer Apollo Algas, 49, the firm’s vice president, for still unknown reasons.
Pastolero said officials of the construction firm remain puzzled as to the motive of the attacks against them when they have no known enemies. (PNA)
