Team formed to probe Carlos’ incident
A case-tracker team was formed to probe the grenade-throwing incident in Carlos’ Bakeshop and Restaurant early morning Monday. The incident, which wounded a security guard and shattered the glass walls of the restaurant was deemed by the Trenases as a form of political harassment.
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Sr. Supt. Melvin Moncal said the case –tracker is headed by Chief Inspector Orly Gabinete, chief of police of Jaro police station.
He did not name the other members of the probe team tasked to solve the grenade throwing incident at Carlos Bakeshop and Restaurant owned by Mayor Jerry Trenas and run by his only daughter Raisa.
The creation of the investigating group is in compliance to the orders of Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas and Mayor Trenas, said Moncal.
The investigating team is now gathering the statements of witnesses including security guard Carlo Ganancial who were present during the incident. The testimonies of the statements witnesses will help the police establish the identities of the suspects, said Moncal.
The statement of the security guard is vital in the identification of the suspects and eventual resolution of the grenade-throwing incident. He did not specifically say if it is politically motivated.
Trenas believes the incident is a form of political harassment meant to cow him. He pinpointed his political nemesis Atty. Raul Gonzalez Sr. behind the incident.
Gonzalez denied the mayor’s allegation. He even offered to send a team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from Manila to investigate the grenade throwing incident.
Trenas declined Gonzalez’ offer saying he has no trust on the former justice secretary, his former party mate before the mayor decided to run against incumbent Representative Raul Gonzalez Jr.
Hours after the incident, Trenas expressed his disappointment to the police. An organic member of the Jaro police station and one police trainee assigned to look over the mayor’s compound, failed to run after the suspects.
Witnesses said there was no police presence; neither a police car was seen at the vicinity when the incident occurred. It was Barangay Captain Genoveva Cabulong who brought security guard Carlo Ganancial to the hospital.
Ganancial, 29 of the Auto Responsibility Agency suffered shrapnel wounds. He was released from the hospital after receiving medical treatment.
The incident broke the restaurants glass walls. The glass panels alone amounted to some P250,000, said Mrs. Rosalie Trenas.
Earlier, accounts of witnesses said the two-motor riding suspects lobbed a grenade at the restaurant and fled immediate towards Barangay Sambag, Jaro. The two unidentified suspects came from the old airport.
The safety lever recovered from the crime scene was turned over by the PNP Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) to the Scene of the Crime of Operation (SOCO). As to date, probers did not categorically identify what type of bomb was used, said Moncal.
WORD WAR CONTINUES
Cong. Raul Gonzalez, Jr. denied that he has knowledge or his family about the alleged harassment on Treñas.
“We do not do such actions maski kami ya ang ginahabuyan sang granada, many, many years ago,” he claimed.
The incumbent congressman also claimed that he is not in favor to place Iloilo City under COMELEC control.
“That actually reflects his performance as city mayor kay buot silingon sina, indi niya kontrolado ang siyudad sang Iloilo,” the younger Gonzales said.
On the other hand, former Justice Secretary and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez, Sr., who is gunning for the city’s mayoralty post, said that they expected that any bad things to befell on Treñas shall be attributed to them.
“Para ka Treñas, kung kadton na sya sang tanga, kami na ang may sala. So, I’m not surprised. Ang ini nga natabo, himo-himo nila in order to satisfy the craving of Mayor Treñas to place Iloilo City under COMELEC control. Amo gid na ang iya main objective diri,” he said.
But without naming names, Treñas said that it’s crazy that some people would claim that the incident is a self-inflicted scheme.
“Ang hambal sang tigulang nga moro-moro lang ina, binuang gid ina ya,” he claimed.
Treñas said that he could not think of any other individuals to do that other than his political enemies and their supporters.
With all the harassment that went on his way, the mayor appealed to his “enemies” to have compassion.
“Ang akon lang pangabay nga ining mga tawo malu-oy man sila. Ang pamilya ko ya inosente. Kung ato to bi ang akon kabataan ukon ang akon asawa? Granada na ina ‘ya,” he told GMA TV-6.
Further, “Ikaduha, malu-oy man sila sa syudad, nine years nga gintinguha-an ko nga mag-ayo ang image sang syudad, dason sa pamulitika kag sa ila pagka-uhaw, sa ila pagkadalok-dalok sa poder, ubrahon na lang nila bisan ano...bisan ang gub-on nila ang aton syudad. Malu-oy man sila. Inosente ko ya. Pagusto lang gali sila.”
He also lambasted those whom he claimed to be responsible for what happened for their “Machiavellian thinking.”
“Do they really believe that the end justifies the means” Bisan ang padaog waay na gid sa ila. Tanan nga surveys diri sa aton, ubrahon na lang nila maski ano bisan mapatay ang isa ka tawo... maski mapatay sila sang tawo para nga magpahog sa akon nga indi na ma-gwa... nga indi na mangampanya. Malu-oy man tani sila sa syudad. Maluyo man tani sila sa mga inosente nga tawo,” Treñas said.
When directly asked to name who was responsible for the attack,” the mayor claimed, “Wala naman iban... wala na ko ya iban kundi sila.”
