Philippine congressman hurt in grenade attack

MANILA: A Philippine congressman and ally of President Rodrigo Duterte was slightly wounded early yesterday in a grenade attack that killed two police officers, police said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast that wounded Joseph Bernos, who sits in the House of Representatives for Abra, an impoverished northern province notorious for political violence.

Thirteen other people were wounded including Bernos’ wife, the La Paz town Mayor Menchie Bernos, in the explosion that police said occurred as the couple watched a pre-dawn fireworks display in La Paz, 350km north of Manila.

Both the congressman and his wife were treated for minor injuries before being sent home, while two wounded police officers died in hospital, said regional police spokeswoman Carolina Lacuata.

The congressman’s office in Manila told AFP it will issue a statement later, while declining to discuss the attack.

Bernos belongs to Duterte’s ruling PDP-Laban party, the congressman’s aides said.

The wounded included the La Paz police chief and one other police officer, Lacuata said in a statement.

She said police investigators found two hand grenade levers at the crime scene, though it was unclear if there was more than one explosion.

A study conducted by Manila-based Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism listed 31 Abra politicians murdered allegedly by gunmen hired by rival politicians in a six-year period between 2001-2006. — AFP