3 Navotas fishermen hurt in grenade blast

Three Navotas fishermen were critically wounded after four unidentified men aboard a motorized banca, hurled a hand grenade at the victims’ fishing vessel in Manila Bay around midnight on Saturday.

Superintendent Genesis Tolejano, the town’s police chief, identified the victims as Jessie Baleno, 24; Jimmy Lipas, 42; and Bernie Lanzarote, 28; all residents of Tabing-Dagat, Davila st., Barangay Navotas West, Navotas.

The fishermen, who sustained multiple shrapnel wounds in the face, legs and other parts of the body, are now confined at the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital, police prober SPO1 Charlie Bontigao said.

Bontigao said that at around 12 p.m., the victims were eating lunch aboard their fishing boat F/B Lady Christy when approached by another fishing vessel manned by four unidentified men.

One of the men on board the approaching vessel suddenly hurled a grenade at them. The grenade exploded inside the victims’ boat throwing the fishermen out at sea. Their fishing boat also sunk, they told the police.

Other fishermen, who witnessed the blast, immediately came to the rescue of the victims and brought them to Navotas for treatment but were later transferred to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital.

The suspects fled with their boat. The Navotas cops were coordinating yesterday with authorities and other concerned agencies for further investigation.