BUTUAN CITY – The family of Deputy House Speaker Rufus Rodriguez and his younger brother, former Abante Mindanao Partylist Rep. Maxie Rodriguez condemned the grenade attack at the family’s ancestral house at the junction of 12th and 13th streets in Barangay Nazareth, in Cagayan de Oro City before dawn Wednesday, September 29.
Both officials believed the incident might be politically motivated, but did not elaborate further when asked by local media through telephone.
The incident happened as the election fever already heats up, with the filing of certificates of candidacies set to start in the coming week.
Probe team of Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (CCPO) under the command of City Director Aaron Mandia are still conducting an in depth investigation on the incident.
Nazareth Police Station commander Capt. Allan Cairel is ordered to personally led the investigation.
“We are still conducting investigation on the incident,” Col. Mandia told local media in Cagayan de Oro.
Probe team of CCPO are looking for two motorcycle-riding men who allegedly lobbed the grenade believed to be MK2 hand fragmentation grenade that did not explode at 1:20 a.m.
“The grenade did not explode because the suspects failed to pull the safety pin,” said a member of the probe team who requested anonymity as he is not authorized to issue any statement, when asked by local media.
However, the initial investigation found out that the grenade has no explosive material and detonator.
It was a demilitarized grenade and would not have exploded, it said.
As of press time, investigation is still ongoing.
The Rodriguez family, including the deputy speaker and his younger brother, were not in the house during the incident.
The Rodriguez family is safe and no one was harmed by the incident, the statement of the family said.
House Deputy Speaker Rodriguez already sought the assistance of the CCPO for an investigation on the said incident.