-
Police investigators disclosed two males riding a motorcycle hurled the hand grenade near the church’s comfort room at 12:45 p.m.
No one was hurt but the explosion destroyed the church’s windows.
It also sent panic among church constituents, as well as those living within the vicinity.
Records show there were two previous attempts to bomb the INC in Kabacan. On Nov. 27, bystanders recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) in front of the church. Two days later, another IED was discovered also in front of the church.
Another IED went off at the Jehova’s Witnesses house of worship last December.
The grenade blast on Wednesday was the second to hit the town this week.
On Tuesday, around 7:20 p.m., a grenade fired from an M203 exploded on the roof of JBMEC Hardware located along Rizal Ave. Police said no one was also injured.
Sr. Insp. Franklin Anito, Kabacan PNP chief, had set aside business rivalry as among the motives after the hardware store owner told authorities he has not received any threats from any of his competitors.
The police hinted that an extortionist gang operating in the region could be behind last Tuesday’s blast. (Malu Cadeliña Manar & Williamor A. Magbanua / MindaNews)