7 wounded as blast hits cockpit arena

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines – Seven people were wounded as two unidentified men hurled an improvised explosive at a cockpit arena in San Pedro town early Sunday morning, authorities said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, Laguna police director, identified the wounded as Romeo Bautista, 32; Marcos Galiego, 43; Niko Berroyo, 22; Dennis Gumandas, Angelo Maravilla, Romeo Bautista, and Erwin Corido.

Cruz said the blast took place at around 5:30 a.m. Sunday while the cockpit arena was still close.

Prior to the explosion, Cruz said a certain Randy Borja, who was on the second floor of the cockpit arena, spotted two unidentified men at the back of the arena near the railroad tracks.

After a train passed by, the two men shouted invectives and threw something that hit the cockpit’s roof, and then the explosion.

Superintendent Kirby John Brion Kraft, San Pedro police chief, said he has created a special team to investigate the blast.