By CYRUS M. GARDE
BACOLOD City — Four people were killed while four others were wounded during explosions in a house in Brgy. Lima-Lima, Isabela town.
The blasts at around midnight on Monday were caused by two hand grenades, one of which was carried by one of the fatalities, Reynaldo “Dagul” Domingo, according to initial police investigation.
The other, police said, was lobbed by his two sons — identified only as “Lablab” and “Polbok” — into the house of barangay tanod Melvin Pangian Sr.
Killed were Domingo, and Pangian and his daughters Mary Michelle, 12, and Karen, 5, said Senior Insp. Ramil Sarona, Isabela police chief.
They succumbed to multiple shrapnel wounds, said the police.
On the other hand, those wounded were identified as Pangian’s wife, Marilou, 39; and their children Melvin Jr., 10, Rica, 8, and Kevin, 3.
They sustained superficial wounds in the head, face and thigh, said the police.
They were confined in the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital here.
Prior to the incident, Domingo, Pangian and kagawad (village councilman) Kokoy Tubis were having a drinking spree on Sunday evening.
An altercation later ensued between Tubis and Domingo over last year’s incident wherein the kagawad allegedly boxed Domingo’s nephew.
Domingo, who was reportedly high on drugs, was demanding Tubis to ask for forgiveness.
Pangian left ahead of them. He told them he had to attend to his carabao. A heated argument ensued between the remaining two. Domingo then left to go home.
A few minutes later, Domingo, secretly wielding a hand grenade, came out of their house.
He went to the house of Pangian reportedly to ask the tanod to accompany him back to Tubis, said the police.
Little did they know that Domingo’s sons Lablab and Polbok sensed their father was getting back at an enemy and, also with a grenade in hand, followed him.
They threw the grenade into Pangian’s house, thinking that the tanod was their father’s enemy and without knowing that Domingo was also in the house.
Two explosions were heard; when the lobbed grenade exploded, that one that Domingo was carrying may have exploded, too, police said.
Marilou Pangian revealed that Domingo asked for a cloth that he can use to wrap his grenade.
Lablab is reportedly a paramilitary man in Isabela who had been absent without leave and the owner of the two grenades.
Police said he and Polbok fled toward unknown directions after the explosions.
Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, police provincial director, ordered a manhunt against the Domingo brothers and to expedite the investigation so that appropriate charges can be filed in court against the two.
Kagawad Tubis is the brother of Lima-Lima Barangay Captain Ruby Tubis–Libuna./PN
