THE mayor of Iloilo City blamed his political foes for the grenade attack on his restaurant and bakery shop beside his residence Monday morning.
Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said the attack only concreted the suspicion that the camp of former justice secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. will not stop until they succeed in harming him or any member of his family.
Witnesses said two persons riding in a motorcycle were seen near the restaurant-bakeshop in Barangay Dungon A, Jaro district when the grenade blasted.
The blast hurt a security guard and destroyed the front glass wall of the restaurant.
“Iloilo City is a peaceful place and for many years, there are no incidents like this. This is happening now because I want to challenge them and break their political hold of this city,” Treñas said.
Treñas announced his political breakup with the Gonzalezes to run against Raul Gonzalez Jr. as congressman of the lone district of Iloilo.
The mayor, now on his third and final term, is running for congressman under the Nacionalista Party. The elder Gonzalez is running for city mayor while his son is seeking a third term in Congress under the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMP party.
Treñas has already asked for security assistance from Police Regional Director Isagani Cuevas to speed up the investigation.
The police were also probing on the harassments complaint filed last month by Treñas’ children against an alleged security escort of the elder Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, a jewelry and pawnshop store owned by Rosalie Treñas at E. Lopez in Jaro district was also ransacked by unidentified persons last month and persons riding a motorcycle also fired shots at the Treñas residence’s gate.