4 students hurt in Sampaloc explosion

Four students were wounded when a man lobbed a homemade pillbox that exploded on the windshield of their car Wednesday night in Sampaloc, Manila.

Police said the victims were at the corner of Laong Laan and Vicente Cruz streets in Sampaloc on board a light blue Toyota Corolla at around 9:55 p.m. when the explosion occurred. They were immediately rushed to the University of Santo Tomas Hospital.

University of the East student Jay Christopher Balmosa, 23; and Perpetual Help College students Kathleen Pundaodaya, 19; Mark Jacoy, 22; and Angelo Divino, 22, suffered shrapnel wounds on various parts of their bodies.

Divino was declared in critical condition after pieces of shrapnel pierced his left eye and left arm.

According to Jacoy, an unidentified man lobbed the pillbox as their car was passing by. The explosion shattered their vehicle’s windshield.

The victims could not tell police investigators who had thrown the pillbox bomb, nor why it was thrown. Police were at a loss since no one in the area cooperated in the investigation.

Residents said riots among street gangs were a nightly occurrence in the area, with passersby often caught in the crossfire.

Sampaloc police station chief Superintendent Ernesto Barlam is seeking the assistance of barangay tanods to put a stop to the riots.

“The problem is even barangay tanods are afraid to respond to the clashes since the protagonists are allegedly armed with guns,” he said.

Barlam said he will conduct a dialogue with leaders of the warring gangs and barangay officials.