Two motorcycle-riding men lobbed a grenade at the ancestral home of Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez past midnight Wednesday in Barangay Nazareth in the city.
A World War II-era Mk grenade landed on the garage of the Rodriguez’s house but did not go off, police investigators said.
“We condemn in the strongest terms this act of violence perpetrated by unknown men,” the lawmaker’s family said in a statement Rodriguez posted to his Twitter account.
According to the family’s security guard, the suspects sped off after throwing the grenade. Only the guards and the helpers were at the Rodriguez residence when the incident took place.
“Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez and Councilor Bebot Rodriguez will ensure that the services offered by their respective offices are unhampered even during these trying times,” the family statement added.
The Commission on Human Rights expressed alarm over the threat “against the personal safety and security of an elected official and his family in the most despicable manner.”
“Apart from endangering the lives of residents, such a violent incident desecrates the sense of peace and security that every individual has the right to enjoy within the safety of his/her/their own home,” spokesperson Jacqueline Ann de Guia said.
“The CHR supports the plea of the family that justice must be served to hold perpetrators accountable from this act of cowardice and intimidation,” she said in a statement.
Cagayan de Oro police chief Colonel Aaron Mandia said he was personally taking the lead in investigating the incident. He said it was too early to say if the attack was election-related.
Rep. Rodriguez earlier said he was consulting his family, political allies, and supporters about running for city mayor of Cagayan de Oro again. The leader of the federalism advocate Centrist Democratic Party failed in his first attempt in 2016 when he challenged the reelection bid of Mayor Oscar Moreno.