Zambo Sur vice mayor, wife survive grenade attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Three persons were hurt after a grenade was lobbed into a service vehicle of a town vice mayor in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent William Manzan, Zamboanga del Sur provincial police director, said that Labangan town Vice Mayor Ukol Talumpa Tumog and his wife, Leah, were about to board an Isuzu Crosswind when motorcycle-riding men lobbed a fragmentation grenade into the vehicle.

The incident took place at around 5:20 p.m. near the house of the vice mayor in Barangay San Pedro in Pagadian City.

The vice mayor and his wife escaped the attack unscathed.

However, the vice mayor's police escort identified as Police Officer 1 Mohammad Magumpara was wounded. A woman identified as Glenda Ballarta and her three-year-old daughter, who were passing by the house of the vice mayor, were also hurt in the blast.

The local official's vehicle was partially damaged.

The victims have been rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Police, meanwhile, suspect that the attack was politically-motivated.