Isabela mayors hit grenade attack on colleague's house

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Mayors in Isabela yesterday condemned last Tuesday’s grenade throwing on the house of a colleague and called on the police for a speedy investigation.

Police, however, were still clueless on the blast that damaged part of the house and two vehicles of Cordon town Mayor Laurencio Zuniega in Barangay Magsaysay before dawn Tuesday.

“This is something for the police to look deeper into. Incidents like these should have been a thing of the past by now,” said Gamu town Mayor Fernando Cumigad, whose house was also rocked by a grenade explosion about five years ago.

For her part, Alicia town Mayor Jeng Reyes condemned the incident “in the strongest terms,” saying, “We (mayors) are only doing our job and we don’t deserve this incident.”

Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, whose fourth district covers Cordon town, also denounced the incident. “We do not condone such violence. It is fortunate that no one was hurt,” he said.

Zuniega, who is serving his second term, said those who have any issues against him don’t have to resort to violence.

“It’s unfair to accuse or pin the blame on anybody over the incident. We are open to anyone who wishes to bring his problems to our attention. We all don’t want violence to occur in our community,” he said.

Vice Gov. Rodito Albano said he does not see any link between the incident and politics. “Right now, it’s just all speculations. Let’s just wait for the result of the police investigations,” he said.

The explosion, reports said, created a crater inside the mayor’s compound. It also rocked the main house’s back door and shattered the kitchen’s glass windows as well as damaged a Toyota Hi Ace Grandia and a Toyota pickup.

Investigators said the attackers, reportedly riding in tandem on a motorcycle, just lobbed the grenade near the mayor’s compound after its high-rise concrete fence prevented them from throwing it inside.

Senior Superintendent Jimmy Rivera, Isabela police director, said they still have no leads on the incident.

He also cited text messages received by Zuniega himself hours after the incident from a certain “Ka Nonoy” inquiring on the mayor’s condition and telling him to beware.

“(The) message wants to create an impression that the perpetrators are (communist rebels) which we still have to verify,” Rivera said.