KABACAN, Cotabato Province – A barangay peacekeeping volunteer (BPAT) member and a barbecue vendor were injured after a grenade attack on a police patrol car in Barangay Osias, Kabacan, Cotabato Province, at around 10:00 p.m. on February 21, 2025.
According to the Kabacan Police Station, the incident began when police officers from Barangay Kayaga attempted to stop two suspicious men on a motorcycle at a checkpoint. The suspects ignored police signals and sped off, prompting a chase that extended to Barangay Osias, where the officers lost sight of the suspects.
As the police officers returned to their patrol car near a KTV bar, an MK2 fragmentation grenade was thrown at the vehicle and exploded upon impact.
Three police officers inside the patrol car were unharmed despite the vehicle’s fuel tank being hit. Two civilians sustained injuries and were identified as: Toto Abdul Sangcupan, 51 (BPAT member) and Ahron Jay Tangonan, 18 (barbecue vendor)
A post-blast investigation confirmed that the weapon used was an MK2 fragmentation grenade. Police have traced one of the suspects to a former inmate at the Kabacan Police Station, now the subject of an ongoing manhunt operation.
Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attack and whether it was related to the earlier police chase.
