DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/3 March)–A laborer was hurt after a grenade was lobbed past 7 o’clock Tuesday evening at a branch of a fastfood chain set to open in a few days in Barangay Malakas, Lamitan City, Basilan.
Authorities identified the victim as Rebel Antalas Masulog sustained a shrapnel wound and damaged a glass window and part of a concrete wall of the establishment.
Lamitan City Mayor Roderick Furigay said CCTV footage from the establishment show an unidentified man wearing a hooded jacket and on board a motorcycle throwing the suspected grenade which exploded near the fastfood outlet’s take-out counter.
Furigay said the attack was likely not perpetrated by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and said that there are no more Abu Sayyaf Group members in Lamitan City which was declared as ASG-free by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in June 2025.
“Mga ano ya lang este, siguro quiere lagng gayod destorba con el lugar ( These are just some people who probably only want to disturb our place),” Furigay said.
Security officials, meanwhile, have launched an investigation to identify the perpetrator of the attack.
Brigadier General Frederick Sales, Commander of the 1101st Army Brigade, downplayed the incident, saying the perpetrator probably was just out to harass the franchisee of the fastfood outlet.
“Wala din naman silang sinabing may nag-extort sa kanila, for sure sasabihan nila kami kung meron (They did not mention that they were a target of extortion. For sure they would have told us if they were),” BGen Sales said.
The authorities are now reviewing CCTV footages captured by CCTV cameras around the city.
The fastfood outlet is set to open on March 7, the first in Lamitan City.
Sales said they recommend that the fastfood branch open as scheduled in spite of the incident. (Queenie Casimiro/MindaNews)
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