The fatalities were identified as Onel Yasas, alias Toto, driver, and his wife Cherry, vendor, both residents of Aloe Vera Extension, Lower Jasmin street, near the Muslim mosque in Payatas, Quezon City.
Onel’s face was shredded and both his arms were severed, while his wife sustained shrapnel wounds in the face and body. Both died on the spot.
Senior Police Officer 3 Reggie Antolin and Police Officer 3 Rodel Janaban, both of the Central Police District-Intelligence and Investigation Division, said the incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. inside the couple’s love nest shortly after they arrived from a birthday party of a relative.
Witnesses said that they saw the husband go to a nearby store where he bought cigarettes but was later seen rushing home and confronting his wife and accusing her of having an illicit affair with another man.
Neighbors also said that they heard the couple exchanging unsavory remarks which was followed by a brief silence.
Then the neighbors suddenly heard a loud explosion coming from the couple’s house, prompting them to rush there and were surprised at seeing both lying lifeless on the floor in a pool of blood.
Police suspected that the husband could have heard gossip from the store triggering him to confront his wife over the alleged affair with another man.
Police believed that at the height of the verbal tussle, the man took out a hand grenade and threatened to blast the woman who grappled for possession of the explosive which suddenly exploded.
Neighbors, however, claimed that the husband was fond of carrying a hand grenade everytime he was under the influence of liquor. He also frequently bad-mouthed his wife and suspected his wife of having a relationship with another man.
It was learned that Jonel was drunk at that time and drug paraphernalia were recovered from their house which bolstered suspicion that he was a drug dependent.