DOTR on grenade found at MRT station: We will not take this sitting down

The Department of Transportation on Sunday vowed it will not take lightly the discovery of a grenade inside a passenger's bag at the MRT3 Cubao Station on Saturday night.

"We will not take this sitting down," the DOTr said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The live hand grenade was found in the baggage of passenger Christian Guzman, 29, at the inspection area of the said MRT station at around 7:10 p.m.

It was detected by the X-ray machine and was found wrapped in packaging tape and placed inside a cellphone box.

De Guzman was placed under police custody and was charged with violation of Republic Act 9516 or Illegal Possession of Ammunition and Explosives.

The suspect will undergo inquest on Sunday at the Quezon  City Prosecutor's Office, according to the DOTr.

"The DOTr MRT-3 would like to stress that this matter will be taken seriously. 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," the DOTr said.

"We also want to encourage our passengers to remain vigilant and report immediately to our security personnel items, activities, and even individuals that they may find suspicious inside our trains or stations," it added.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar on Sunday lauded the effective security system in the MRT Line for being able to detect the grenade.

"The fact na na-detect nila ang granada, ibig sabihin ay effective ang kanilang security system, ang coordination ng personnel," Eleazar said at a press conference on Sunday morning.

Eleazar said the explosive was a fragmentation grenade and was owned by the suspect's brother who was a soldier.

He said an investigation is ongoing to determine how the suspect got hold of the grenade to determine if the brother has culpability. —KG, GMA News