Grenade found in venue of Lozada talk in Dagupan

DAGUPAN CITY – At first, it was reported to be a hoax but it turned out it was a real grenade found at the People’s Astrodome Friday when Senate star witness on the national broadband network investigation Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada came here for a Mass for truth and forum.

Superintendent Dionicio Borromeo, city police chief, told The STAR yesterday that around 2:30 p.m., a mysterious caller phoned in the office of the Criminal Investigation Detection Group which holds office at the Astrodome about the presence of a bomb in the area.

The CIDG men called up local police assistance, particularly the Explosives and Ordnance Division, to verify the report and to conduct search.

During that time, a Mass was going on, followed by a forum where Lozada, assisted by Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz who initiated the forum, priests, nuns, and about 3,000 people were gathered.

The STAR also checked on the place where the “bomb” was brought to. But some men around dismissed it as nothing.

Borromeo said they told the security aides of Lozada about it and informed them they would discreetly do search so the people will not panic.

It turned out that the caretaker of the Astrodome who was not identified by Borro­meo found a shoe box inside a plastic bag and thought it was merely a garbage left by somebody at the bleacher of the venue near the comfort room.

It was that plastic bag where the grenade was put inside. The caretaker said he opted to place it outside and even dropped it.

A deeper probe showed that the EOD confirmed it was a grenade.

Around 4 p.m. when it was Lozada’s turn to talk, media­men were upset when he answered questions very briefly and appeared in a hurry to finish the question and answer portion.

The event was abruptly finished before 5 p.m. without people noticing that something untoward was going on.

It was almost 7:30 p.m. when everybody has left the area and the police finished with their search, secured the grenade outside and induced it for detonation. The grenade’s pin was intact when found by the EOD elements.