No one was injured but the house of Francis Treñas, the mayor's younger brother, was damaged, according to reports of the Police Regional Office 6.
Francis, a businessman, said he could not think of any other probable reason for the attack other than his involvement in the campaign of his brother for the congressional seat of Iloilo City. He said he has been active in setting up support organizations for his brother's candidacy.
"This is politics. I cannot think of any other reason for this," Francis said.
The grenade exploded around 3 a.m. inside the compound of Francis' residence at M.H del Pilar Street in Barangay Taal in Molo District here. The explosion destroyed glass windows and damaged furniture and home furnishing.
Investigators recovered a safety lever of an M26A1 fragmentation grenade but were still trying to identify the attackers and determine their motives.
Francis told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a telephone interview that their family was sleeping when they were awakened by the loud explosion.
He said the grenade was apparently thrown over their concrete fence and landed on the garden around four meters from their house.
Francis said his son Jay, who has been organizing youth groups in support of the mayor received threats through text messages two weeks ago, warning him against his organizing activities.
A grenade was also thrown at the Carlos Bakeshop, owned by the mayor's family on March 8 injuring a security guard and damaging the establishment.
The mayor had decried the attack as "political harassment."
Treñas, candidate of the Nacionalista Party, is running against reelectionist Iloilo Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), the son and namesake of former Chief Legal Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez. Aside from Gonzalez, independent candidates and former mayor Mansueto Malabor and Juanito Gaje are also in the running for the congressional of Iloilo.
In radio interviews Tuesday morning, the elder Gonzalez denied involvement in the attack. He said the attack could be a "drama" to get public sympathy.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer
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