Drugs, grudges seen as motives in grenade blast
Far from the conflict due to cockfighting, illegal drugs is now considered as one of the motives behind the explosive blast at Jaro district, Iloilo City Monday evening.
This angle came into view after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) revealed that two of the three wounded persons are under the watchlist of illegal drug personalities.
PDEA regional director Paul Ledesma explained that Andrew Altas, 40, of Alta Tierra Village, Jaro, Iloilo City and Christopher Parreño of Brgy. Malipayon, City Proper, Iloilo City are both connected to alleged drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta.
Ledesma said that Altas is the husband of Shirley Odicta, Melvin’s sister.
There are also reports pointing to Altas’ acting as a trusted personnel of the Odicta Group.
On the other hand, Parreño, who was earlier referred to as Altas’ driver, is actually a barangay tanod and the alleged driver and bodyguard of Melvin Odicta.
“They are reported to be engaged in the transport and proliferation of illegal drugs coming from Tanza-Esperanza and Malipayon,” Ledesma added.
For now, PDEA admitted that they could point the participation of the other victim, Noe Dañucop, 29, also of Alta Tierra Village, to the Odicta group.
“PDEA is just wary who are responsible for what happened. Since those who are involved are under the watchlist of illegal drug personalities, there is a big possibility that it might have something to do with illegal drugs,” Ledesma pointed out.
The PDEA is not also discounting the possible that the suspects are no neophytes in what they did.
Meanwhile, Jaro Police Station commander Chief Insp. Orly Gabinete is not discounting that personal grudges could have played a part on the explosion.
As such, Gabinete said that there could be no other targets others than Andrew and his two friends.
“As far as I can remember, we have booked an incident several months ago about the threat on Andrew’s life,” he added.
Gabinete said that the suspects claimed to have known the suspects but refused to name names.
Meanwhile, police authorities claimed that the suspects are not new to the making of improvised explosive device since the IED lobbed at the Altas’ residence is an IED attached with a grenade and an M203 bullet.
To note, the three victims were wounded when still unidentified persons lobbed grenades at the house of retired SPO4 Antonio Altas, Jr., Andrew’s father, at Phase 3, 3rd Main Avenue, Alta Tierra Village, Jaro district.
But the retired cop believed that he was not the target of the attack but his son, Andrew, who is a cockfight enthusiast.
He theorized that the incident might have something to do with the cockfight because the three participated in a derby in Mandurriao.
At around 7:15 in the evening of Monday, Antonio said that he was literally shaken after hearing a loud explosion outside their house.
He claimed to have seen two motorcycles which then sped off going to the Coastal Road area, just at the back portion of the Alta Tierra Village.
Despite getting wounded, Andrew drove Parreño and Dañucop to the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital for treatment of multiple shrapnel wounds on the different parts of their body.
Several parts of the house were also destroyed and so was a Nissan Navara pick-up (FGN-215) owned by Grace Altas.
The incident also claimed the lives of a cat and three heads of fighting cocks.
