3 killed, 15 wounded in disco grenade blast

DAVAO CITY – What started as a disco event in the small town of Sulop, Davao del Sur late Friday night ended in a tragedy as three people were killed while 15 others were wounded when a grenade exploded right in the midst of the village dancing revelry.

According to Southern Mindanao regional police commander Chief Superintendent Andres Caro II, the grenade exploded at around 10 p.m. Friday night while the suspect, a certain Rito Pelonio, was also in a dancing frenzy with the rest of the crowd at Purok 5, Barangay New Cebu, in Sulop.

“It looked like it was accidental because the suspect himself was also dancing with the crowd. The fragmentation grenade was actually in Pelonio’s possession,” Caro said.

Aside from Pelonio, who was reported to be a barangay tanod in the area, the other fatalities were identified as Servillano and Junrel Brigole.

The 15 others who were wounded were immediately brought to the nearest hospitals for treatment.

Caro said elements of the Davao del Sur provincial police office as well as personnel of the provincial explosive ordnance detection team were immediately sent to the crime scene to conduct further investigation.

Authorities have yet to determine why Pelonio was in possession of a fragmentation grenade during the village disco event.  – Edith Regalado