A 65-YEAR-OLD man who ran amok and a policeman who tried to disarm him were killed when the grenade that the former had been brandishing went off inside the Initao College in Jampason, Initao, Misamis Oriental, Thursday, November 28.
Seventeen people, including another police officer and some students, were wounded.
The policeman, identified as Master Sergeant Jason Magno of the Initao town police, was among the policemen who tried to disarm Ebrahim Ampaso, a resident of Madamba, Lanao del Sur.
The scuffle was caught on video recorded by a netizen.
Investigators said Ampaso was already carrying a grenade when his vehicle loaded with lumber was flagged down by personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The DENR office is 500 to 800 meters away from the community college. The school does not have a perimeter fence, police said.
DENR personnel ran towards the school after the suspect started to become unruly inside the DENR office.
"Sa office pa lang ng DENR nag amok na siya kaya yung mga personnel ng DENR tumakbo sa covered court at sumunod ang suspect," Captain Princess Velarde, spokesperson of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office, said.
Magno and his team responded to the scene and tried to pacify the suspect. Magno and the suspect were both holding the grenade when it exploded.
Police Master Sergeant Alice Balido was wounded.
In a statement, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vincente "Bambi" Emano said the provincial government will provide assistance to the victims of the explosion.
Emano has also directed Police Provincial Director Roy Bahian to conduct an in-depth investigation into the incident.