NorCot grenade blast victim dies in Davao hospital

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 5): NorCot grenade blast victim dies in Davao hospital

Authorities said one of the wounded victims in the grenade attack here Monday night has died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Davao City.

Midsayap Mayor Romeo Arania said 22-year-old Charles Guhitia died Tuesday morning due to severe shrapnel injuries in his head and vital organs.

Guhitia was among the eight persons, including minors, who were hit by shrapnel parts after a hand grenade exploded at 8:45 p.m. in the fish section of Midsayap public market while the town was experiencing power outage.

Arania said initial investigation showed that the grenade was planted in a Styrofoam box which was used by fish vendors in preserving the sea products.

"It exploded while one of the victims was pulling off fishes from the box," Arania said. "That's one version, there is another angle we are looking into," he added.

He said police were trying to determine who planted the grenade in the pile of fish boxes at the fish section.

Arania also said the local government unit will pay for the medication of the wounded victims, four of them still confined at a local hospital here.

Senior Inspector Henry Narciso, deputy police chief, said investigators are looking into sabotage angle with the suspects in car theft cases carrying out the grenade throwing incident.

He said one of the suspects, a certain Anwar Gutierrez, was arrested by lawmen for car theft and his companions would like to get even by throwing grenade at a populated area which was the public market.

Arania also said his office will raise bounty for anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspects. He did not say how much.

The blast injured Kryza Jane Torrejas, 13; Virginia Cablas, 56; Quintin Trastisa, 32; Anne Pocapotan, 14; Paula Angelie Masicampo, 20; Rodrigo Cataytay, 31; Bernie Cuerpo, 22; and Charles Monsanto Guhitia, 22, all residents of Midsayap. Guhitia had the most serious injuries.

“All the victims were market vendors closing shop at the time of the explosion,” Narciso said.

Cablas said she first heard a thud followed by a loud blast.

But another victim told investigators that the grenade went off in the middle of pile of fish boxes near the fish section.

Narciso said police were looking into the possibility that rivalry among fish vendors was behind the attack or that it was some form of retaliation by people related to suspects in thefts of motor vehicles.

“We have so many arrested persons involved in carnapping, their companions might have retaliated, but the rivalry issue is the likely motive,” he said.

Police and military authorities are also looking at the possible involvement of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) who have been linked to previous bomb attacks in Midsayap and other North Cotabato towns.

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