The Transport department said Sunday it will not take lightly the discovery of a hand grenade inside a passenger’s bag at the MRT3’s Cubao Station on Saturday night.
“We will not take this sitting down,” the department said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The live grenade was found in the baggage of passenger Christian Guzman, 29, at the inspection area of the station around 7:10 p.m. It was detected by the X-ray machine and was found wrapped in packaging tape inside a cellphone box.
Police arrested Guzman and charged him with illegal possession of an explosive. He was to undergo an inquest on Sunday at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
“The DOTr MRT-3 would like to stress that this matter will be taken seriously,” the department said.
“We ask the patience and cooperation of our passengers as we further tighten the security measures being implemented in our stations. Please understand that these measures are being done to protect the safety and security of our passengers. We also want to encourage our passengers to remain vigilant.”
Metro Manila Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar praised the security system at the MRT Line for detecting the grenade.
“The fact that they detected the grenade means their security system is effective,” Eleazar told reporters on Sunday morning.
He said the explosive was a fragmentation grenade and was owned by the suspect’s brother, a soldier.
He said an investigation was ongoing to determine how the suspect got hold of the grenade, and if his brother could be held accountable.