Grenade found near MPD official’s car

MANILA, Philippines - A grenade was found near the car of a Manila Police District (MPD) official in Tondo, Manila yesterday morning.

The explosive, wrapped in packaging tape, was discovered in the parking slot reserved for Superintendent Joel Villanueva, who heads the MPD Station 7, at past 5 a.m.

The discovery came two hours after a grenade exploded in an abandoned building 30 meters away from the station.

Senior Superintendent Rolanda Nana, MPD director, said investigators are looking at drug syndicates as the ones behind the two incidents.

Villanueva claimed they have intensified their operations against drug pushers starting this month.

“It’s possible that these are acts of retaliation,” he said in an interview.

Nana said they are collating data to identify who carried and lobbed the explosives.