MALUNGON, Sarangani — What started as an ordinary day on a farm in Sitio Crossing, Barangay San Roque, turned into a hazardous discovery when a resident found three fragmentation grenades and a signal flare tucked inside a plastic bag in his pig’s feeding area, authorities said. The Sarangani Provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)/K9 Unit later carried out a controlled detonation to safely dispose of the ordnance.
The incident began on October 8, 2025, when the farmer noticed the plastic bag among his pig’s feeding spot. He removed the bag and placed it beside a nearby banana tree, then reported the discovery to barangay officials and the Malungon Municipal Police Station the following day, October 9. Police verified the report and confirmed explosive ordnance at the scene.
Because the devices showed signs of deterioration and posed a safety risk, the Malungon police requested assistance from the Sarangani Provincial EOD/K9 Unit. On-site assessment by the EOD team logged the recovered items as follows:
- One PRB423 high-explosive fragmentation hand grenade with a cracked fuse assembly and a corroded safety lever;
- Two MK2 high-explosive fragmentation hand grenades showing signs of rust — one with a deformed safety pin and another missing its safety lever; and
- One M125A1 signal ammunition round (pop-up signal flare).
Given the unstable condition of the grenades, the EOD team determined that an immediate controlled render-safe procedure (RSP) was necessary. The unit performed a controlled detonation at the recovery site to eliminate the risk to nearby residents, farm workers and property.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the origin of the explosives and whether additional ordnance might be present in the area. Local authorities said they will follow up with inquiries to trace how the devices came to be in a farming area.
Police and EOD officials used the incident to remind the public of safety protocols: do not touch, move or tamper with any suspicious item that could be explosive. Report suspected ordnance immediately to the barangay or police so trained teams can secure and dispose of the item safely. Officials emphasized that even old or corroded grenades can still detonate and cause fatal injuries.
The swift response by the Malungon police and the Sarangani Provincial EOD/K9 Unit prevented what authorities described as a potentially deadly accident.