Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 29) — A grenade was thrown at the ancestral home of House Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez in Cagayan de Oro early Wednesday but did not explode.
In a statement, the Rodriguez family denounced the attack, saying “justice will be served against all those responsible for the crime.”
“Lives were put at risk in the grenade attack at the ancestral residence of the Rodriguez family in Barangay Nazareth in Cagayan de Oro City earlier today,” they wrote. “We condemn in the strongest terms this act of violence perpetrated by unknown men.”
The family said no one was hurt and that authorities are now investigating the incident.
In an interview with a local radio station, Rodriguez said the perpetrators were motorcycle-riding men who immediately sped off after hurling the grenade past 1 a.m.
While the motive has yet to be established, the congressman said it could possibly be election-related as he’s considering running for city mayor in next year’s polls.
The Commission on Human Rights also condemned the incident, which it called an “act of cowardice and intimidation.”
“Although no one was injured, the Commission expresses alarm over the threat against the personal safety and security of an elected official and his family in the most despicable manner,” CHR spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.
It added that it supports the Rodriguez family’s call to hold the perpetrators accountable.
