Palawan radioman, family cheat death as grenades fail to explode

A Palawan radio commentator and his family cheated death when two grenades thrown into their residence in Puerto Princesa City, the province’s capital, failed to explode. Fernando “Dong" Batul, commentator of Palawan’s DYPR radio station, together with his sister, found the first grenade on their balcony on April 24. The police later found the another greande in their yard. The safety pins of both grenades had already been removed. Along with the grenades, a letter penned in red ink was found at the gate of Batul’s house warning him to “hold his tongue or his family would suffer harsh consequences." At least 10 of Batul’s family members were inside the house when the threat was made. Local police bomb and explosive division immediately responded to Batul’s call for help and safely detonated the grenades in the yard. Police have yet to identify the perpetrator. Batul attributed the threat on his family to local officials who were offended by his critical commentaries in DYPR’s morning program “Bastonero." Prior to the attack, Batul had been discussing the condition of several contract workers from Palawan who were allegedly maltreated in Taiwan. The Puerto Prinsesa City Public Employment and Services Office facilitated the employment of the said workers. Batul earned a reputation as a critic of Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, even when he was still a commentator in the rival RGMA Station before the 2001 election. He also earned the military’s ire for interviewing members of the New People’s Army, including those who claimed responsibility for the killing of a retired policeman in a local village in Puerto Princesa City. -GMANews.TV