Parsons linked to grenade blast

Losing Marikina City mayoralty candidate Sonny Parsons has been charged of being an accessory to attempted murder after his newly acquired SUV was identified by a witness as the vehicle used by two men who lobbed a hand grenade at the house of a barangay chairman in the city last Saturday.

Parsons, a former actor and councilor, admitted he owned a dark green Nissan Safari Patrol (RAG 555), but claimed it never left his house since buying it last Friday from one Ronaldo de Guzman of Barangay Marikina Heights.

Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas Jr., Marikina City police chief, had Parsons arrested at 4 p.m. last Saturday after the plate number of his Patrol matched the number jotted down by a witness.

A hand grenade exploded in front of the house of barangay chairman Benjamin Cruz at no. 1 Ignacio Cruz street in Barangay San Roque earlier at 12:45 a.m.

No one was hurt in the blast, but Cruz’s dark blue Toyota Corolla was badly damaged.

City Prosecutor Linda Conus later ordered Parsons, who is Jose Babiula in real life, released for further investigation.

But his Patrol was placed under the custody of the Marikina City police.

Parsons ran and lost by a wide margin to re-elected Mayor Maria Lourdes Fernando in May 10 general elections.

Rojas said Cruz served as Fernando’s campaign manager.

Barangay San Roque, was one of several places in Metro Manila hit by a power failure at the height of the tallying of votes.

Parsons accused Cruz of cheating when the resumption of the tally saw Fernando pulling away from his rivals.

Since then, Cruz has been receiving death threats from a male caller and has seen motorcycle-riding men near his house, Rojas said.

SPO4 Celso Cruz, head of the Station Investigation Division (SID) of the Marikina City police, placed Parsons under custodial investigation.

Cruz admitted that the witness failed to identify Parsons from among the two men who were inside the fleeing vehicle at the time of the incident.

De Guzman, Cruz said, confirmed the sale of the vehicle, saying Parsons drove it home last Friday.