New Year’s Eve grenade attack: 22 wounded

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January 2, 2026 | 12:00am

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  – Twenty-two people including minors were wounded when two motorcycle-riding men hurled a grenade at a group of residents a few minutes before midnight on Wednesday in Matalam, Cotabato.

The victims were setting off firecrackers and pyrotechnics to welcome the New Year along the  highway in Barangay Dalapitan when the attack occurred, according to Lt. Col. Arniel Melocotones.

Responding police officers rushed the victims to different hospitals for treatment of shrapnel wounds.

Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza condemned the attack and urged village officials and residents to help the police identify the perpetrators who fled after the incident.

“The provincial government will provide the victims essential support needed for their treatment,” Mendoza said.

Intelligence officers from the Cotabato police will help the Matalam police probe the incident, according to Brig. Gen. Arnold Ardiente, Soccsksargen police director.

Probers have yet to determine the motive for the attack.

Meanwhile, the province of Basilan marked the New Year with no firecracker or pyrotechnic-related injury, the first in recent years, according to security and health officials.

The zero firecracker-related incident covered all areas of Basilan, except Isabela City, which is under the administrative jurisdiction of Zamboanga peninsula, according to Col. Cerrazid Umabong, Basilan police director.

Umabong said the province remained peaceful and orderly throughout the holiday, with no untoward incident recorded.

Before the holiday, Gov. Mujiv Hataman ordered security officials to recover loose firearms and settle disputes among clans.

In Zamboanga City, a single case of firecracker-related injury was reported as local authorities eased restrictions on firecrackers.

The victim, a minor, suffered an eye injury caused by a sparkler, according to Afdal Kunting of the Zamboanga City Medical Center.

Earlier in the day, three people with firecracker-related injuries were brought to the hospital for treatment.

In previous years, the city recorded no firecracker-related injuries as it imposed a total ban on firecracker and pyrotechnic devices from 2013 to 2022.

114 holiday-related incidents logged in CL

The Central Luzon police has recorded up to 114 holiday-related incidents as of yesterday.

The cases included indiscriminate firing incidents in Pampanga and Bulacan; illegal possession, use and sales of firecrackers; voluntary surrender of prohibited firecrackers and pyrotechnics devices, and firecracker-related injuries.

Nineteen people were arrested including three for illegal discharge of firearms and 16 for illegal sale or use of firecrackers, according to Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr., Central Luzon police director.

No firecracker-related injury was recorded in Baguio City from Dec. 23 to yesterday, police said. –  Roel Pareño, Ric Sapnu, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Artemio Dumlao