BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – Four persons, including a barangay watchman and his two daughters, were killed while his wife and three other children were wounded when a grenade exploded at their house in Isabela town, Negros Occidental before dawn yesterday.
Melvin Tanghiyan, 42, and his daughter Mary Nacelle were declared dead on arrival at the hospital while Karen, four, was killed at the scene, said Chief Inspector Ramil Sarona, Isabela police chief.
Another fatality was identified as Reynaldo Domingo, 45, a neighbor, who reportedly brought the grenade to the Tanghiyans’ residence in Barangay Lima-Lima.
Melvin’s wife Marilou, 37, and their children Kevin, three; Rica, eight; and Melvin Jr., 10, were brought to the hospital for treatment of shrapnel wounds.
Sarona said investigation showed there was only one grenade that exploded, contrary to Marilou’s claims that there were two. He said the explosion was accidental.
He said Domingo was drunk when he arrived at the Tanghiyan residence at past midnight yesterday, supposedly to ask Melvin’s help as he has reportedly unpinned the grenade.
Domingo, according to Sarona, asked Melvin to go with him outside in order to know the person who reportedly threw a stone at him as he was on his way to the Tanghiyans.
Sarona said Domingo asked Melvin for a piece of cloth to tie around the grenade. As he was doing so, the grenade reportedly exploded.
Domingo was torn to pieces by the grenade blast.
Sarona said Melvin’s children were asleep when the incident happened.
Meanwhile, Marilou claimed it was Domingo’s two sons who reportedly lobbed the grenade outside their house.
She said Domingo, who was in cahoots with his sons, allegedly tried to escape but dropped the other grenade he was carrying.
She said the Domingos allegedly held a grudge against her husband after the latter reportedly sided with a barangay councilman with whom the elder Domingo had a rift.