Unidentified suspects hurled a grenade on Tuesday night inside the detachment of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-4 (MBLT-4) at Sitio Sampaguita, Brgy. Aribungos, Brooke’s Point in southern Palawan, but it did not detonate.
3rd Marine Brigade (3MBDe) acting spokesperson 1Lt. Orchielyn Bobis told Palawan News that the grenade was thrown inside the headquarters of the battalion’s 24th Marine Company (24th MC) around 8:10 p.m. on July 23 by a riding-in-tandem.
She said no one was injured in the incident because the grenade did not go off.
“Desperado na naman ang mga kalaban natin na NPA sa ating mga Marines na nag-ooperate sa area ng [southern] Palawan. Sa liit ng mundo nila nagkaroon sila ng diversionary tactic, hinagisan nila ng granada ang area ng marines natin pero ‘yon nga hindi ito sumabog,” she said.
She said they immediately secured the perimeters of the headquarters in Aribungos after the incendiary was thrown to prevent affecting civilians nearby.
Bobis did not provide any detail regarding their FMO in Brooke’s Point, one of the municipalities that recently declared the leftist members as “unwelcome” and the NPA as “persona non grata”.
“Unang-una, na-secure natin ang perimeter kasi hindi pwedeng may madamay na civilian if ever na sumabog ‘yong inihagis nila. Ligtas ang mga tropa, ang mga civilian, at walang nangyaring pagsabog. Nag-o-operate kami sa area at sa sobrang liit na ng ginagalawan nila kailangan i-divert ang attention namin pero hindi naman matitinag ang Marines,” Bobis added.
Meanwhile, a police spot report shared by P/Col. Socrates Faltado, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in MIMAROPA, said that the incident happened while the Marines were having dinner.
1Lt. Jeff Tiburcio reportedly said that it was thrown in front of the 24th MC’s admin building.
The unexploded ordnance will be disposed of by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (EODT) of the 3MBDe.
