Army reservist finds grenade cache in Quezon cemetery

A Philippine Army reservist discovered a cache of live hand grenades at a public cemetery in Lucban, Quezon on January 18, prompting authorities to secure the area and deploy explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) units.

Reservist Private First Class Bismarck Floyd Mandaing of the 404th Ready Reserve Infantry Battalion, 4th Regional Community Defense Group, was visiting a family grave at Palola Public Cemetery when he received information that a suspected explosive device was buried inside a fallen tree within the cemetery grounds.

Mandaing and his companions inspected the area and uncovered 120 live hand grenades concealed beneath the tree. The ordnance was immediately secured, and the surrounding area was cleared to ensure the safety of cemetery visitors, the Army said in a statement.
Authorities were notified, and coordination was made with an EOD battalion, whose personnel later arrived to assess and take custody of the recovered grenades.

“The incident underscored the critical role of vigilance and coordination between reservists, civilians, and military units in preventing potential threats to public safety, particularly in community spaces frequented by civilians,” the Army said.